The wind that swept the country yesterday left wreckage across Macedonia - and in Kumanovo it carried off something with more symbolism than a roof: the state flag from the town square.

Strong winds knocked the flag off its pole on the Kumanovo square. The Municipality of Kumanovo announced today that the flag had been found and taken by the Kumanovo police, but that it was damaged.

„The flag is damaged. We informed the Service for General and Joint Affairs at the Government of the situation. They told us they will provide a new flag,” said the secretary of the Municipality of Kumanovo, Emilija Sladiris-Janevska. The new state flag is expected to go up once it is delivered by the relevant government service.

The flag will, of course, be replaced - that is the smallest problem. Worse is what the wind exposed everywhere: fallen trees, torn-off roofs, blocked streets. There is damage across Macedonia, and the Government has announced it will reimburse it. When the flag on the square cannot withstand the wind, what is left for the old roofs and the trees that no one has looked after for years?