
Citizens in Montenegro, in protest of increasingly high prices, boycotted retail chains, supermarkets, pharmacies and consumer goods stores.
The non-governmental organization "Alternative Montenegro", the initiator of the boycott, says that this initiative will result in a significant drop in sales throughout Montenegro.
Rising prices are making life difficult, especially for pensioners and low-income families, as basic products, which are in the highest demand, are among the most expensive.
"Don't buy anything - say the consumers - so that together we can send a strong message to the merchants."
Among the first to support the action in Montenegro was Prime Minister Milojko Spajic.
He said he understands citizens boycotting purchases. “A state is as strong as its citizens are free and powerful,” Spajic wrote on the X network, while Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Nik Gjeloshaj suggested that the boycott not include domestic producers.
Spajic's government decided to continue the "limited prices" campaign until the beginning of April, when the prices of certain products are expected to freeze, meaning that merchants cannot increase them.
The opposition Democratic Party of Socialists says: "Apparently, Spajic does not understand that he is prime minister and that it is his responsibility to solve the inflation problem. You cannot achieve this with populist boycotts, but with serious economic policy."
The Montenegrin Chamber of Commerce said that it does not support any kind of boycott, regardless of the sector in which it operates, and that it considers this unjustified.
According to data from the Statistical Office of Montenegro, inflation from 2021 to 2024 was 30.5%, while food prices increased by up to 41%.
On the other hand, retail chains, judging by tax returns, recorded a 40 to 50% increase in turnover in 2023, compared to 2021. /DW