The Cheapest Fuel in the Region - But Cheap for Whom?

Macedonia still pumps the cheapest fuel in the region. From today, diesel costs 1.25 euros a litre and petrol 1.34 euros - both the lowest prices among the neighbours.

The difference isn't small. For diesel, after Macedonia come Bosnia and Herzegovina at 1.53 euros, Montenegro at 1.55, Croatia at 1.59, Greece at 1.73, Serbia at 1.77, and the most expensive is Albania at 1.89 euros. It's a similar picture with petrol: from 1.34 euros here, to nearly 2 euros in Greece. The drop comes after a global cooling - from June 11 to today, the price of Brent crude has fallen by around 15 dollars a barrel and now hovers around 77 dollars.

At first glance, good news. But the figure missing from the picture is the wage. Because fuel at 1.25 euros is cheap only if you measure it in absolute denars - and not if you measure it in how many hours of work the average Macedonian needs to fill the tank, compared to a Croat or a Greek.

When politicians boast of "the cheapest fuel in the region," it's worth asking: cheap for whom? The regional table is accurate, but it tells only half the story. The other half is that the lowest price at the pump often goes hand in hand with the lowest wage on the payslip - and that's no longer something to boast about.