Far-right politician Călin Georgescu calls for boycott of supermarkets in Romania

Far-right and pro-Russian politician Călin Georgescu, who shot from obscurity to the forefront of Romanian politics in the now-canceled presidential elections, called for Romanians to boycott supermarkets on February 10.

In his call, Georgescu gave the example of Croatia, where consumers boycotted supermarkets in protest of rising prices earlier in January. The nationalist candidate also said that supermarkets should be avoided because they do not sell Romanian products.

Shoppers in the entire Balkan area boycotted supermarkets on Friday, January 31, following the Croatian example.

Supermarket chains Eurospin, Lidl and DM were boycotted for almost a week in Croatia, with total sales plummeting by 53%. The former Yugoslav nation shaped its boycott on the "Halo, inspektore" ("Hello, Inspector") initiative, according to Euronews Europe. In response, the government capped the prices of more items.

Croatia has been squeezed by inflation, reaching an annual rate of 4.5% in December — the highest in the eurozone, where the average is 2.4%.

Croatian supermarket chains have also responded to the protest movement, with Kaufland Croatia announcing a price cut on over 1,000 products from 5 February. Another supermarket chain, Konzum, said it planned to inject EUR 1 million into reducing and freezing prices on 250 domestic products which aren't price-capped by the government.

Montenegro's prime minister Milojko Spajić has even joined in as the campaign expanded in the region, stating that "as a citizen I support such action" in a TV interview with the country's public broadcaster.

Large-scale boycott movements would be a novelty in Romania. Previously, politicians including prime minister Marcel Ciolacu have encouraged consumers to favor Romanian products, without telling them to avoid supermarkets.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Calin)