Skopje, 20 July 2022 (DW/MIA) - After numerous reactions from the public surrounding the Macedonian Government’s unilateral declaration on the language, Professor Ljudmil Spasov explains why there is nothing controversial about it. The Macedonian Government’s unilateral declaration on the Macedonian language that was submitted to the EU defines the standard literary Macedonian language and there is nothing controversial about it, Ljudmil Spasov, Professor at the Faculty of Philology and President of the Macedonian Language Council, told Deutsche Welle. The publication of the declaration was followed by reactions and comments in the public, claiming the declaration denies that the Macedonian language has dialects spoken outside the territory of North Macedonia. “The Macedonian declaration refers to the standard literary language. That language, since the time of Misirkov, Koneski and then the Commission for Language and Ortography, has been standardized on the basis of the dialects spoken in: Bitola, Veles, Prilep and Kichevo. The language is based on those dialects,” says Professor Spasov. The document sent by the Macedonian Government to the EU states the following: “The standard Macedonian language was codified in 1945. In accordance with the knowledge established by acts, broadly accepted theories, and empirical research of contemporary world Slavic studies and linguistic science, the Macedonian language has its own linguistic, spatial, and time continuity. This continuity is based on the specific development of the dialects at its base that were prevalent on the territory of today's Republic of North Macedonia. The Macedonian language is defined as a Slavic language in the South Slavic group of languages, which over the centuries grew, developed, and rose into a supra-dialectal, national standard language of the Macedonian people.” The Language of Misirkov According to Professor Spasov, this definition is in line with Koneski’s grammar from 1952, which standardized the language, as well as the Orthography published in 1945. “The entire process taking place in the second half of the 19^th century, through Cepenkov, Shapkarev and others is based on the western dialects. Misirkov is explicitly clear when he says, 'When the Macedonians from the western, northern, eastern and southern Macedonia hold out their hands, they will all cross near Bitola and Prilep.' In the declaration we speak about a standard language, one which is official and is used in all documents not only within the country, but outside of it as well,” says Spasov. The professor says a distinction should be made between the standard literary language and the Macedonian language area. The latter, he says, “covers areas outside of the borders of North Macedonia as well, and that can be proved with scientific, historical, sociological and other facts.” In the criticism of this decision, Spasov finds “not only well-intentioned remarks, but also opposition to our EU integration.”