Zagreb (AFP) – Consumer groups across Croatia called for a nation-wide shopping boycott on Friday to protest rising food prices and biting inflation in the Balkan country. According to organisers, the protest aims to pile pressure on retailers who they blamed for surging inflation in Croatia — which is currently running at the highest annual rate in the 20-nation eurozone.
The boycott call, widely shared on social media this week, urges Croatians to “not to buy anything on that day, absolutely nothing.” “If 10 percent of people do it that will be a big loss for retail chains, and you will lose absolutely nothing that day, but they will,” read one statement posted online. “We are extremely satisfied with the reaction of consumers who have contacted us from across Croatia,” said Josip Kelemen from the consumer protection association ECIP, which initiated the protest. “We expect a massive response,” he told AFP.
The boycott has also been backed by opposition parties, trade unions, and some local celebrities. Independent union leader Darije Hanzalek said it could be the first step “in sending a clear message to all in the supply chain that their pursuit of additional profit has limits and must not turn into mere greed.” But economic experts said the impact of the boycott would likely be limited, while others dismissed the initiative outright. IT entrepreneur Drazen Orescanin from the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association called the plan “crazy” in a post online.
Inflation in Croatia has largely been fuelled by the country’s bloated public sector, one of the EU’s highest VAT rates, and its ageing and shrinking population, he said. In December, Croatia’s 4.5 percent annual inflation rate was the highest in the eurozone, where the average stood at 2.4 percent. The average net salary in Croatia was 1,366 euros ($1,420) in November, official figures show. Consumer groups have repeatedly complained that prices have risen steadily since Croatia adopted the euro as its currency in January 2023.
© 2024 AFP
