Today Mihalis Rokas, EU Ambassador to Macedonia, visits Kruševo and Bitola - two towns in one day, with a classic agenda: meetings with mayors and councillors, talks with civil society, open dialogue with citizens, and an evening concert in Bitola for Europe Day.

In Kruševo, the tone is „European welcome". Meetings with Niko Čoneski, the mayor, and council members. On the table - „the effects of the EU accession process" and concrete results from European financial support. The diplomatic-speak translates to: the EU gives money for infrastructure, we count it.

The Bitola leg is „Europe Day" - a concert in front of the Officers' Hall. The band Funk Shui and DJ Dejan Deks. Programme under the motto „Our Europe. Stronger together". That's symbolism without much nuance.

What's interesting is the timing. The EU Ambassador doesn't tour Macedonian towns without reason or interest. With the French veto, the Bulgarian conditions, the constitutional changes still in limbo - EU-Macedonia relations are in a period where every visit is a political statement. „Kruševo and Bitola" is a clear message to western Macedonia: you still matter to us, even if Brussels looks far away.

Is that enough? For the Balkan context, no. EU ambassadors have toured Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro much more often in the past two years than Croatia - which is already a member - and that's not by chance. It's a signal that Brussels wants to maintain the momentum, even if the real process is stuck. We watch the ambassadors. We listen to them about a „shared future". And we keep waiting at the door.

Closing note - „Our Europe. Stronger together" - a motto that, translated out of EU-speak, means „we know you're still not a part of us, but we're travelling on your behalf together". It's a message that, after 20 years of queuing, starts to sound familiar.