In the Kozle neighbourhood of Karpoš, construction has begun on a new "Prolet" nursery with capacity for 130 children. The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, and the project is financed through the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth.

For parents who have fought for years for a place in overcrowded nurseries, this is one of the rare pieces of news that directly touches daily life. The shortage of places in public nurseries is a chronic problem in Skopje - the waiting lists are long and the private alternatives expensive. Every 130 new places means 130 families breathing a little easier.

It's also telling that the nursery falls under the demography portfolio - the same ministry dealing with the falling birth rate. The logic is clear: it's hard to expect people to have children if they have nowhere to leave them while they work. Nurseries aren't just buildings, but part of the answer to the demographic question.

Foundation stones are every government's favourite genre - a photograph, a shovel, smiling officials. Metla will always wait to see what's there at the end: whether the nursery opens on time, with all 130 places filled, or whether it becomes one of those projects that shine at the start and quietly run years late. For the children of Kozle, we're hoping for the former.