EU Accession Pressure: The Alliance for Albanians says North Macedonia is “hostage to political calculations,” warning that constitutional amendments are the key to unlocking EU progress while the government and VLEN stay silent despite earlier promises. Parliamentary Clash: PM Hristijan Mickoski escalated rhetoric against opposition leader Venko Filipche, vowing he will be “behind bars,” as the dispute centers on trust in institutions and emigration fears. Rule of Law Debate: Civil society groups urge the European Commission to make the July Rule of Law Report more than “box-ticking,” calling for verifiable follow-up and rule-of-law conditionality on EU funds. Anti-Corruption Probe: Skopje’s State Commission for Prevention of Corruption is investigating Government Secretary General Igor Janushev’s assets, after foreign-linked property questions raised by opposition SDSM. AI Infrastructure: Skopje launched the Vezilka project for a national AI center, linking universities, institutions, and business to EU AI infrastructure under a ~EUR 6.2m, three-year plan. Energy Pipeline: North Macedonia’s approved solar and power project pipeline is expanding fast, with gigawatt-scale plans approved for 2026 despite regulatory shifts. Regional EU Enlargement Blockage: Hungary’s opposition is slowing Ukraine and Moldova’s accession talks, with the EU scaling back to opening only two negotiation clusters in July—an issue that also affects Western Balkans enlargement expectations. Cybersecurity Alert: A malware campaign (“StrikeShark”) using fake Cisco AnyConnect and Google Update installers has been reported with victims including North Macedonia.