European MP Thomas Vajc, in a new interview, is contradicting the claims by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski about the reform agenda. "In the last year in North Macedonia there is no visible progress," Vajc said in an interview that is public now, but which the MEP himself says was filmed "a month and a half ago".

The timing matters. Mickoski rushed to use the interview as a witness that there is "progress" - tossing out selective quotes from him. Vajc himself stepped in to clarify: "I do not know why the interview is being published now." Translated: someone in Skopje pulled it from the archive and tried to sell it as breaking news.

Opposition leader Venko Filipche jumped to seize the moment: "Vajc is contradicting Mickoski. There is no progress whatsoever." European Affairs Minister Bekri Sali had to admit: "There are 10 critical points in the reform agenda. Six are near completion. There are laws we will not deliver on."

Six out of 10 means 60 percent. On the academic scale that is a "pass" - in practice, it is falling behind. Among the unfinished is the Election Code, which in a country preparing for elections is something more important than an administrative detail. Without an Election Code, the risk of disputed elections is high. And if Brussels notices that, the money from the Growth Plan could be at risk.

The economic report is clear. Macedonia is entitled to money from the EU Growth Plan, but conditional on concrete reforms. If they are not delivered - the funds are pushed to next year or scrapped. Those funds are not small - but not enormous either. The main question is whether the country wants the European path, or only European money.

What the political reactions show - is that in Skopje Brussels is read selectively. When Vajc praises, they take a victory lap. When Vajc criticises, they deny it. That is a discourse model in which no reform process can ever be completed, because every negative report is a "misunderstanding" and every positive one is a "feat".