Rule of Law Watch: The European Commission published its 7th annual Rule of Law Report, covering EU members plus candidate states including North Macedonia, putting governance and judicial standards back in the spotlight. EU Enlargement Momentum: “Super Tuesday” for enlargement saw new negotiation steps for Albania, Montenegro, Moldova and Ukraine, with North Macedonia still in the candidate mix as Brussels pushes reforms amid security concerns. Bilateral EU Roadblock: In Skopje, a Bulgaria–North Macedonia protocol from the 2022 Joint Intergovernmental Commission is again framed as a key obstacle to opening EU talks, under the 2017 friendship treaty. Diplomatic Outreach: India’s President Droupadi Murmu is set to visit North Macedonia on July 21–22, meeting President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, PM Hristijan Mickoski and the Assembly, alongside an India–North Macedonia business forum. Court & Accountability: A North Macedonia court cleared a fugitive ex-leader of corruption tied to party HQ, feeding debate over accountability and legal follow-through. Regional Public Health: Five Western Balkan governments agreed to ban smoking and e-cigarettes in public spaces, with North Macedonia among the signatories. Aviation Safety Spillover: A Ryanair window-loss incident is now under US investigation after being reassessed as occurring in Greek airspace, keeping regional aviation safety on the agenda.