From midnight tonight, fuel prices in Macedonia go up. EUROSUPER BS-95 petrol rises by 2 denars per litre, EUROSUPER BS-98 and diesel by 2.5 denars. An average increase of 1.84 percent. The bottom line: filling a standard 50-litre tank now costs about 100 denars more for petrol and up to 125 denars more for diesel.

The new maximum prices set by the Energy Regulatory Commission: 87 denars for BS-95, 89 denars for BS-98, and 92 denars for diesel. With the OKTA discount, prices are 2 denars lower across all three categories - but that's a marginal difference for an average-income household.

The Regulatory Commission explains the hike with rising global prices - petrol is up nearly 5 percent on international markets, with instability in energy markets due to Middle East tensions. Brent crude oil sits at around 110 dollars per barrel.

And the government measures? Excise duty cut by 2 denars per litre and preferential 10 percent VAT on petrol remain in place. Without them, prices would be even higher. With them - still pricier than last week.

For Macedonian households, this means the fuel budget keeps eating into a larger share of overall spending. Rents rise, food prices rise, fuel rises - and wages stay where they were. The average Macedonian salary tracks inflation with a six-month delay, and this is the third fuel hike this year.

The question politicians rarely answer openly: how much additional revenue does the state collect from excise and VAT with every fuel price hike? How much of it comes back as subsidies or social assistance? How much is spent on "mega-projects" and infrastructure schemes that rarely get finished? Those numbers exist - but nobody wants to release them without a party filter.