January 2026: Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski says "the government supports the hauliers' protest", while lorries block border crossings.

August 2026: the same minister says he "does not think protests are the solution" and that "it is more constructive to find solutions".

Between those two sentences, the problem did not change. What changed is who is protesting.

What this is about

Since the EU introduced its EES system, professional drivers fall under the Schengen rule of 90 days of stay within any 180-day period. For a man who makes his living driving across Europe, that means the calendar decides how much work he gets.

The hauliers propose a solution that sounds reasonable: count in hours, not calendar days - because waiting at the border burns days they did not spend working, but standing in a queue.

What the state is doing

Nikoloski says Macedonia has already signed agreements with Croatia, Switzerland and Romania, and that work is under way on agreements with Austria, Hungary and Germany. Talks with Slovenia are expected in October.

He insists there is regular communication with the associations: "We have regular meetings, if not weekly then every two weeks. Excellent cooperation. This is one of hundreds of issues we are resolving."

That "one of hundreds" says more about where this sits on the priority list than any analysis could.

The deadline is 1 September

Some hauliers are announcing protests if there is no solution by the start of September. Nikoloski replies that the matter falls under the competence of the EU and Schengen, and that the state can only soften the consequences through bilateral agreements.

That is accurate. The state cannot change the Schengen rule. But that is exactly why the January statement weighs more now - back then the competence was identical, and the protest was welcome.

The regional approach and the "trap"

Nikoloski insists on going it alone through bilateral agreements rather than a coordinated Western Balkans approach, and suggests part of the pressure is politically motivated from neighbouring countries.

Whether the bilateral route delivers better results than the joint one will become clear on 1 September. Until then the drivers are counting their days - literally, because the system counts them on their behalf.