Skopje, 22 April 2026 (MIA) - There are moments when Europe must choose whether to react or to lead. Today we are in one such moment. We live in a time of uncertainty, when security can no longer be taken for granted. In such circumstances, words carry less weight than decisions, and declarations matter only as much as we are prepared to implement them. What we need is a Europe that does not wait but acts, that does not hesitate but decides, that does not fear competition but creates it, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said at a joint press conference Wednesday with the Chancellor of Austria, Christian Stocker, in Vienna.

At the press conference, Mickoski said Europe won’t be strong if its parts remain weak; won’t be stable if its peripheries remain insecure; and won’t be competitive if its economies don’t grow together.

“This is a matter of bilateral cooperation, but also of shared responsibility. We are ready to take this responsibility. We are ready to work. We are ready to make decisions. We are ready to deliver results. That is why we believe that through a partnership built on trust and concrete projects, we will create something that lasts longer than a single term, longer than a single crisis, longer than a single generation. Europe must not remain just an idea. Europe must become a result,” Mickoski said.

According to the PM, Austria is one of the few partners with which Macedonia can turn its economic vision in reality, not because its economic presence, but also because of the consistency, seriousness, and its understanding of the region.

“We don’t want to just maintain our cooperation. We want to raise it to a higher level. The new era requires new dynamics. More investments in production, more investments in energy, more partnerships in digital transformation. More infrastructure that connects rather than divides. The energy transition is a test for all of us, a test of capacity, vision, and leadership. For us, it is an opportunity to build an economy stronger than crises and prepared for the future. But this opportunity can only be realized with partners who think long-term. That is why we need a Europe that does not wait, but acts,” Mickoski said.

Mickoski said discussions about economy, trade, investments are a technical issue, but there's also the deep conversation of what kind of Europe we want – a continent that adapts to crises or a continent that shapes the world, as well as the rules of the world.  

“We aren’t just looking for foreign investors, we are looking for partnership, trust, shared vision of where we want to be in ten years. Our commitment is clear – to build an economy that creates and not just spends, to build a country that offers security, and not uncertainty, a system in which work pays off, and trust holds value. These are not daily slogans. This is a clear direction. We see investments as a driver of changes, changes that bring new industry, new knowledge, new quality, new standard,” the Prime Minister said.

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