Petrol breaks the 100 mark, diesel drops to 99 denars: the VAT cut runs out on 28 September

As of midnight, petrol has broken the 100 mark. "Eurosuper BS-95" now costs 100.50 denars per litre, BS-98 goes to 102.50 denars - both up by 3.50 denars. Diesel, meanwhile, drops by 2 denars to 99. So at the same pump, the diesel driver now pays less than the petrol driver - a denar and a half in diesel's favour.

The Energy Regulatory Commission issued the decision, in force from 15 September at 00:01. The average increase across the whole package is 2.86 percent compared with the previous decision of 7 September. But that average hides a split: some got relief, others paid the bill.

Who pays the difference

Diesel is getting cheaper not because of the world market, but because of two domestic measures - a temporary VAT cut from 18 to 10 percent and an extended reduction in excise duty. That is the government intervening directly in the price. Petrol has no such rescue, so it went where the market told it to go - up.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski claims citizens are saving over 250,000 euros a day from cheaper diesel alone, or between 4.2 and 4.5 million euros over two weeks. The figure sounds impressive. But the reduced tax rate on diesel runs from 15 to 28 September - that is fourteen days, written into the decision itself. When that deadline expires, the price goes back to where we left it. And then what?

From SDSM, Venko Filipče called the measures late and insufficient, demanding the excise duty be scrapped entirely and VAT cut to 5 percent. The opposition asks for more - that is its job. The question nobody asks out loud is how long the budget can keep holding this difference in its hands.

The other numbers in the same decision

Extra light household heating oil rose by 4.50 denars and now costs 109.50 denars per litre. Mazut jumped by 2.242 denars and stands at 48.243 denars per kilogram. These are not line items from drivers' forums - these are the prices that set the heating bill the moment it gets cold. And autumn is a few weeks away.

Diesel is politically protected. Heating is not. The difference between those two things is a decision about which bill the government wants to see on the front pages.