Europe (anthem)
Encyclopedia
Europe is the national anthem
of the Republic of Kosovo
. It was composed by Mendi Mengjiqi
. The anthem has no lyrics. It was adopted on 11 June 2008. It was chosen because it contained no references to any specific ethnic group. It was elected by the Assembly of Kosovo
, with 72 MPs voted in favour of the selected composition, while fifteen voted against, and five abstained.
newspapers and on the official website of the Assembly. The rules include:
ceremonies of the Republic of Kosovo. The Kosovo interim government decided to do this as a mark of respect to the European Union
for its efforts on helping in gaining independence.
has been widely used in Kosovo with other Albanian national symbols. It was also the anthem of the unrecognized Republic of Kosova that existed from 1990 until 2000 when the province was taken into the control of the United Nations
.
, was proposed by the former President of Kosovo
, Ibrahim Rugova
, as the anthem in 2000. However, no decision was made back then. The anthem has lyrics in the Albanian language
.
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of the Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
. It was composed by Mendi Mengjiqi
Mendi Mengjiqi
Mendi Mengjiqi is a Kosovar Albanian composer, author of the National anthem of Kosovo, Europe.-References:...
. The anthem has no lyrics. It was adopted on 11 June 2008. It was chosen because it contained no references to any specific ethnic group. It was elected by the Assembly of Kosovo
Assembly of Kosovo
The Assembly of Kosovo was originally established by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in 2001 to provide 'provisional, democratic self-government'....
, with 72 MPs voted in favour of the selected composition, while fifteen voted against, and five abstained.
Competition for the anthem
On 12 March 2008 the Assembly of Kosovo announced an open contest to choose the anthem in PristinaPristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
newspapers and on the official website of the Assembly. The rules include:
- "Composition should be distinguishable: - should be unique and original"
- "Length of the composition should not last less than 30 seconds or more than 60 seconds."
- "Texts can be included as well in the application, in any official language of the Republic of Kosovo" however, the final adoption is believed not to include them. Choosing the text for the anthem would have been a difficult task because the majority of the population in Kosovo are AlbaniansAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
, SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
being the second largest ethnic group. The government has emphasized that no ethnic group should be discriminated against, declaring the state a "democratic, secular and multiethnic republic" thus making it difficult to find lyrics that do not favor one ethnic group over another one. Similar problems were encountered when choosing the flag. Furthermore, the rules also state that the proposal "Should not present or be similar to the hymn or popular song of any country, or hymn of any political party, movement or Institution of Republic of Kosovo, or to implicate any faithfulness towards any ethnic community of Republic of Kosovo." - The proposals must be submitted by 31 March 2008.
- The composer of the adopted piece will be awarded €10,000 and two other qualified proposals will receive €7,000 and €5,000.
Ode to Joy
"Ode to Joy", the anthem of the European Union, was played at the official declaration2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
ceremonies of the Republic of Kosovo. The Kosovo interim government decided to do this as a mark of respect to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
for its efforts on helping in gaining independence.
Himni i Flamurit
"Himni i Flamurit", the national anthem of AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
has been widely used in Kosovo with other Albanian national symbols. It was also the anthem of the unrecognized Republic of Kosova that existed from 1990 until 2000 when the province was taken into the control of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Kur ka ra kushtrimi n'Kosovë
"Kur ka ra kushtrimi n'Kosovë", a song composed by Rauf DhomiRauf Dhomi
Rauf Dhomi is a Kosovan classical music composer and conductor and a teacher at the University of Pristina...
, was proposed by the former President of Kosovo
President of Kosovo
The President of the Republic of Kosovo is Head of State of the disputed Republic of Kosovo. The President of Kosovo is elected by the Assembly of Kosovo. The first post-war president, who served until his death in January 2006, was Ibrahim Rugova. His successor was Fatmir Sejdiu. When Sejdiu...
, Ibrahim Rugova
Ibrahim Rugova
Ibrahim Rugova was an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo and of its leading political party, the Democratic League of Kosovo ....
, as the anthem in 2000. However, no decision was made back then. The anthem has lyrics in the Albanian language
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
.