Macedonia's economy grew by 4.3 percent in real terms in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, and construction was up 21.9 percent. The figures were presented by Prime Minister and VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski - not at a press conference, but at a rally in Brvenica last night, on the campaign trail for the snap local elections.

Interestingly, Mickoski himself drew the line between the number and the wallet in the same speech. "The growth must continue and the results must be felt more - in higher wages in the period ahead, in more well-paid jobs, schools, roads, water mains, sewers, health facilities and public services that work," he said. In other words: the growth exists in the statistics, and wages still have to catch up with it.

The prime minister also answered criticism over his "third economy in Europe" claim. "Now that we're first in the region, they dig up a statement of mine - 'Mickoski didn't tell the truth, we're not the third economy in Europe' - by growth we were fourth. Fine, I accept that," Mickoski said, adding that under the previous government the country was last in the region. He said that since this government took office, around half a billion euros has gone directly to projects in municipalities, several million of it in Brvenica, and announced a new call for project funding next year.

Diesel and the credit. In the economic part of his speech, Mickoski also boasted about fuel. "Everywhere in the world it's going up, in Macedonia, here, it's getting cheaper. That's this government's policy," he said, linking the cheaper diesel to the reduced VAT. The Energy Regulatory Commission's decision, however, says something else as well: over the past week, the reference price of diesel on the world market fell by 6.73 percent. The reduced 10 percent VAT isn't new - it was also in force the previous week, when diesel went up by 5.50 denars.

Growth of 4.3 percent is a real number, and not a small one. But the gap between GDP and people's lives isn't measured at rallies - it's measured at the end of the month. The prime minister said as much himself. Now it remains to be seen when "the period ahead" becomes the present.