Mayor Gjorgjievski boasted that he had "brought back the shine to Skopje's fountains" - the fountains that hadn't worked for a long time are running again, with a video and a press release as befits any municipal photo op.

No one is against fountains that work. But when getting something that should be working anyway up and running is sold as an achievement, it's worth asking - how much did bringing back the shine actually cost, and why were the fountains switched off for so long in the first place? Maintaining city infrastructure is not a gift from the mayor to the citizens; it's the job he's paid for.

Skopje has far bigger problems than switched-off fountains - polluted air, a worn-out water network, public transport that falls apart in summer. Fountains are pretty and photogenic, and that's exactly why they're the ideal subject for a press release. It's easier to switch on a fountain than to clean the sky. Will the next boast be about something that really changes daily life, or once again about what looks best in a photo?