Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar has officially confirmed that the Government of the Republic of Croatia does not plan to introduce changes that would allow family crafts to operate on Sundays.

With this statement, the minister directly denied recent media reports suggesting that amendments to the Crafts Act were preparing the ground for exempting small family shops from the general ban on work. Šušnjar emphasized that the existing legislative framework is completely clear and that there is no need for additional interventions that would disrupt the current system.

The reason for this reaction were reports announcing that in the second quarter of this year, owners of family crafts might be allowed to work in their own shops without any restrictions. The minister called such speculation unfounded and explained that the Crafts Act was not intended at all as a tool for regulating working hours in trade because that matter is already fully covered by other regulations.

Family values and religious significance as the basis of the decision

Explaining the persistence on the Sunday work ban, Minister Šušnjar highlighted the deep social and religious reasons behind this policy. According to him, Croatia is a country in which the majority of the population are Catholics, which also carries a certain responsibility toward tradition and customs. He believes that Sunday should remain a day dedicated to prayer and celebration, but above all a time that employees in the trade sector will spend with their loved ones.

As a key success of the law's implementation so far, the minister cites the fact that shop workers have returned to their family tables. He believes that the social benefit of a shared Sunday lunch and rest is far more important than the potential profit that would be generated by working on those days. This position reflects the policy of the current government, which seeks to establish a better balance between the business and private lives of citizens.

Financial indicators do not record losses for the state budget

One of the most common questions in public concerns the impact of non-working Sundays on the economy and the state treasury. The Minister of Economy reassures the public and entrepreneurs by claiming that official data show stability. Turnover analyses suggest that consumption has not decreased but has simply been redistributed to other days of the week. Customers quickly adapted to the new rules, so most of the turnover that used to be generated on Sundays is now recorded on Saturdays or on Monday mornings.

Given that the total amount of money citizens spend has not changed significantly, neither retail companies nor the state budget have felt negative consequences. Šušnjar added that the market is equal for all participants and that introducing exceptions for certain forms of businesses, such as family crafts, could lead to discrimination and undermine fair market competition.

Understanding the model of 16 working Sundays

For those who are not familiar in detail with the legal regulations, it is important to clarify what the current Trade Act actually prescribes. Traders in Croatia have the right to choose 16 Sundays in the entire calendar year during which their doors will be open to customers. This means that shops do not have to be closed every Sunday, but owners themselves strategically decide when operating is most profitable for them, which is most often during the summer tourist season or during the Christmas holidays.

However, in practice a significant difference has emerged in the application of this model between large systems and small entrepreneurs. Large retail chains, which own multiple points of sale in the same city or region, can easily rotate working Sundays. In this way, they achieve that one of their shops is closed while another in the immediate vicinity is open, thereby retaining customers and ensuring the constant availability of their services throughout the year.

On the other hand, small family traders, who most often have only one establishment, do not have that room for maneuver. For them, 16 Sundays represent a fixed limitation without the possibility of covering the market through other locations, which puts them in a significantly different market position compared to large competitors who can strategically arrange the working hours of their branches.

The decision of the Ministry of Economy not to yield to pressure for the liberalization of work for small craftsmen sends a clear message about the direction in which the domestic labor market is moving. Although in public debate there is often a clash between the freedom of entrepreneurship and social rights, the current administration firmly stands by the arguments about protecting the family and preserving tradition.

As long as financial indicators do not show a dramatic drop in consumption, it is difficult to expect any easing of the rules. For Croatian citizens, this means continuing to plan shopping in advance, while for retail workers Sunday remains a secure day for rest, at least within the framework allowed by the quota of sixteen working weekends per year.