Balgarianovinite.com The Auto Moto Association of Macedonia said that from Monday noon, heavy goods vehicle traffic is blocked at North Macedonia’s border crossings of Stari Dojran, Bogorodica and Medzitlija (with Greece), Deve Bair, Delcevo and Novo Selo (with Bulgaria), and Blace (with Kosovo). Twenty minutes later, the blockade was extended to the crossings with Albania at Kjafasan and Blato.
The seven-day blockade announced by hauliers from North Macedonia, joined by their counterparts from Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, is driven by demands to change the rule limiting the stay of professional drivers from these countries to a maximum of 90 days within any six-month period in the Schengen border-free area. The restriction stems from the new Entry/Exit System (EES) 90/180 rule, introduced in October 2025.
North Macedonia’s Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski, who went to the Blace border crossing to meet truckers in the afternoon, said the action was coordinated with other Western Balkan countries. “The reason I am here today is to express my and the government’s support. This protest is a warning. Hauliers want to show what will happen from April 10. The protest is timely, as February and March should be used for Schengen member states to find solutions,” Nikoloski told reporters.
He outlined three possible options: delaying the rollout of the new electronic system for hauliers; increasing the number of days hauliers may spend in the Schengen area to at least 250 days, divided into cycles, instead of 180; or treating truckers not as tourists but as professionals, either exempting them from the rules or regulating their status through work visas, as currently done only by Switzerland.
Biljana Muratovska, Secretary General of MAKAM-TRANS, the Association of Employers’ Organizations of Transport Companies, said: “A solution must be found for drivers’ stays in the Schengen area so that full days are not recorded when they are transiting, or some form of visa should be issued that is not limited by the number of days.”
Opposition SDSM leader Venko Filipche said Nikoloski had acted as an “independent analyst” instead of taking the necessary steps to prevent the problem. Speaking at a meeting of the National European Integration Council, Filipche said: “He [Nikoloski] is warning that the economy will collapse, given that more than 60-70% of our economy, particularly export and import, is linked to EU Member States. Citizens will pay the price for these failed government policies one way or another.” North Macedonia Transport Minister Backs Hauliers’ Border Blockades 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-26 16:54:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law