Skopje, 10 March 2026 (MIA) - Macedonia is a country that has by far the lowest price of oil and currently there is no danger of shortages. The Government continues to monitor the situation and sees no need to declare a state of crisis, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski told journalists Tuesday.

Quizzed about the measures that will be taken to stabilize fuel prices, the Prime Minister compared the price of diesel in the country with the prices in Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Greece, and Bulgaria.  

“As a country we have by far the lowest price of oil and that might be good from one aspect, but from another it means there is some pressure in some of the border municipalities because many citizens from neighboring countries are coming over to buy diesel resulting in some gas stations running out of fuel sooner than expected, but it is quickly restocked,” Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the State Market Inspectorate is continuously working on the ground and that there have been no disruptions in supply, however, he said, “it is logical for there to be some pressure in the western part of the country”.

“We expect pressure in the period to come, but we have enough supply. We spoke to distributors and companies that supply the citizens and the Macedonian economy with oil and oil derivatives. Currently, there is no danger of shortages. As a Government we will continue to monitor the situation,” Mickoski said, stressing the Government will react in line with the development of events. 

Mickoski said he would meet with owners of supermarket chains on Wednesday.

“I want to discuss the issue with them too, to ensure this pressure isn’t used now to immediately hike prices and transfer the pressure to the citizens, and to ensure that we as Government will not have to take a different type of, perhaps, offensive measures,” the Prime Minister said.

The PM stressed he expects a fair approach from market owners so that together with the Government they can protect the living standard of the citizens.  

Quizzed about the measures put forward by SDSM leader Venko Filipche for the reduction of the excise tax and VAT rate on fuels, Mickoski said the proposal is “unserious, inaccurate, and imprecise”.

“On one hand, you hear them creating hysteria over a minimum wage of EUR 600, 700, 800, while on the other they are calling for the removal of taxes, no VAT, and so on. They are taking us back to the times of soc-bolshevism and that type of economy. That’s why I tried not to comment these creators of the cannabis economy in Macedonia, the people who literally robbed Macedonia, humiliated the Macedonian citizens and the country. And perhaps sometimes silence is a sufficient response to some questions,” Mickoski said.

Photo: MIA