site.btaUPDATED Boycott of Shops in Croatia Causes Snowball Effect in Other Balkan Countries

Last Friday's boycott of shops in Croatia triggered a snowball effect, spurred by citizens' discontent with high prices. Following Croatia's example, calls for similar civic actions against shops, petrol stations and restaurants this Friday, January 31, have spread in recent days in several other Balkan countries.

Croatia

The shelves remained full, and the shops were empty on January 24, after many Croatians chose not to shop as part of an initiative launched by the Facebook group Halo, inspektore (Hello, inspector) led by the consumer association ECIP. The action was supported by consumer protection associations, trade unions, political parties and even government representatives. The movement started with messages shared on social media that read, "January 24 is the day of boycott in Croatia against high food prices. Citizens are urged to refrain from buying anything."

The response of Croatians led to a significant drop in retail turnover and revenue that day. According to the data from the Tax Department of the Croatian Ministry of Finance, the number of receipts issued on January 24 was 29% lower than a week earlier, January 17, and their total value was 36% lower. Specifically in the retail sector, the number of receipts issued on the day of the boycott was 44% lower, and the total value was 53% lower compared to January 17.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic described the boycott as a clear and important message from the citizens. He added that it will be taken into account when measures for administrative limitation of prices of certain products are defined. Plenkovic specified that an updated list of capped prices is expected to be announced by the end of this week.

Finance Minister Marko Primorac also expressed support for the boycott. On January 24, HINA reported him saying: "It is not the role of the government to organize or call for a boycott, but as a citizen and consumer, I fully understand it. Personally, I will not go to the shops today." The Minister went even further, when he suggested that long-term boycotts targeting specific market players or individual products could have a much greater impact, however, he emphasized that he is saying that as a consumer and a citizen.

After the general boycott, advisor to the Hello, Inspector platform Josip Kelemen said that a boycott of all retail chains or of one particular shopping centre lasting several days, a boycott of several products at the same time or other initiatives can be expected. This will be decided by Facebook users who will be invited through the page of the platform to share their opinion and suggestions.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

A wave of calls for a boycott of shops, petrol stations, cafes and restaurants on Friday, January 31, also appeared on social networks in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The boycott is intended to be a protest over high prices and low living standards. The initiative organizers urge citizens not to buy anything on the last day of January but to secure the necessary groceries in advance, to cook at home and to avoid restaurants.

Posts in online forums claim that food prices are higher than some more developed countries such as Germany, while housing costs are exorbitant.

The aim of the campaign is to put pressure on the authorities and employers in the country to take specific measures to curb inflation, raise the minimum wage and improve the general standard of living.

The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have repeatedly frozen the prices of essential foodstuffs.

North Macedonia

A call for a boycott of supermarkets on January 31 because of the high prices of goods is spreading in social networks in North Macedonia. A message that circulated online forums reads: "We call for a mass boycott on Friday. Refrain from shopping in big supermarkets, avoid big markets. We want to send a signal that citizens will not tolerate these unreasonable price increases."

The ruling party VMRO-DPMNE supported the initiative with a statement that reads: "We are certain that the institutions will actively oppose the situation in which, without any inflation-inducing indicators, some traders inhumanely raise prices and participate directly in increasing poverty, enriching themselves on the backs of citizens, which is a manifestation of a monopolistic and socially irresponsible attitude."

According to the opposition SDSM, it is VMRO-DPMNE and the government of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski who are to blame for the situation. SDSM said that the current government has been choosing to ignore the opposition's proposals for countering the price spikes over the past few months while trying to manage the problem with "fake baskets".

Until mid-January, the so-called New Year basket was in force in Skopje, as proposed by the government of North Macedonia. Retailers could choose to join the initiative and reduce the prices of basic food products, however, according to consumers, before the prices were reduced, they had been increased first.

Mickoski commented: "I understand this action of the citizens. I have been talking about the behaviour of people in this business from the beginning and how they are trying to generate high profits in a speculative manner."

Montenegro

The NGO Alternativa Crna Gora (Alternative Montenegro) called on Montenegrin citizens to boycott supermarkets and shops in the country on Friday, the Montenegrin news agency MINA reported. The NGO said in a press release: "We call for a boycott of supermarkets and shops in Montenegro on Friday, with no exception. This has nothing to do with politics. High prices affect all citizens equally."

The organization pointed out that citizens have not felt the full extent of the increase in salaries and pensions due to the price spikes.