Prime minister Hristijan Mickoski and Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenkovic signed a strategic partnership agreement between Macedonia and Croatia on 26 May in Ohrid. The agreement covers transport, energy, ICT, industry, healthcare, education and security - nearly every possible sector, which in diplomatic terms means either everything or nothing.

Why Croatia? Croatia has been an EU member since 2013, went through similar obstacles on the path, and its prime minister is a political figure who openly talks about unequal treatment of different candidates. Croatian president Zoran Milanovic previously stated that it is „unfair" for Macedonia to keep facing „endless changes of conditions." Despite their internal political differences, on this point Plenkovic and Milanovic are on the same side.

Mickoski used the moment to repeat what he has said several times before: „There are no more opportunities for identity concessions, no more steps back." In other words - Bulgarian demands for constitutional amendments to „include" Bulgarians as part of the identity description are off the table. We're prepared to pay the price of waiting, Mickoski said, rather than make another concession.

That's a big statement. The price of waiting for Macedonia means further stagnation of the EU accession track - perhaps another 5 or 10 years. Economically that means less foreign investment, less infrastructure funding, more young people leaving. Politically it means VMRO-DPMNE builds the narrative „we didn't give up on identity," which is electorally powerful. The intersection of those two pressures is where Mickoski sits.

Numbers for the two countries: about 300 million euros in annual trade, with room to grow. A new air route to Ohrid that should lift visitor numbers. The energy memorandum is especially important - Croatia has access to the LNG terminal on the island of Krk and the diversification expertise built since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For Macedonia, which still depends on Gazprom, that's a real opportunity.

But critically - „strategic partnership" is a term that often stays on paper. Without concrete working groups, measurable targets and timelines, it's a diplomatic photo. The test will be whether concrete projects are signed in the next 6 months - not new „agreements," but actual deliveries. Croatia has said its part - now it's Macedonia's turn to say its own.