The opposition parties in the Croatian parliament warned on Wednesday that the minimum wage does not cover the cost of living, as half of those receiving the minimum wage have problems making ends meet, while members of the ruling coalition claimed that the minimum wage has never risen faster.

Marin Miletic (Most party) said the proposed increase in the monthly minimum wage from €840 to €970 gross was not enough for an average family of four with two children: “Employees should be able to live decently on their wages, but this is not the case in Croatia today.”

Majda Buric from the ruling HDZ party said that during the governments of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, the minimum wage had risen by 103%, adding that with the announced increase, the minimum wage would rise by 134% overall from next year.

Ledenko: Buric is misleading the public by “painting a picture of reality that does not correspond to the truth”

“The increase in the minimum wage has never been so high and so fast, and there is a commendable endeavour by the government to increase the minimum wage to at least €1,250 by the end of this legislative period,” Buric said.

She pointed out that during the SDP-led government of Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, the minimum wage had increased by only €29, while under the Plenkovic government it had increased by €556. “In 2015, the SDP government increased the minimum wage by only 0.4% or €1.58.”

Her statement sparked reactions from several MPs. Miletic said that the opposition was talking about people who could barely make ends meet, while she was talking about her friends from the elite.

Ivica Ledenko (Most party) said Buric was misleading the public by “painting a picture of reality that does not correspond to the truth.” He said that Croatia is in 15th place in the eurozone in terms of minimum wage, while neighbouring Slovenia is in 7th place with a 50% higher minimum wage than Croatia.

Mrak-Taritas: The ruling coalition should come out of its “ivory tower” and see how people live

Ivan Racan (SDP) pointed out that Buric’s statement was not true, as all increases had been eaten up by inflation.

Ivan Dabo from the Domovinski pokret (DP) party, a member of the ruling coalition, said that Croatia could not be compared to Slovenia, as Croatia had experienced the Homeland War and was under pressure from a large number of refugees, to which Ledenko replied: “Who should we compare ourselves to if not Slovenia? I do not think we will compare ourselves with Luxembourg, where the average wage is €2,300.”

Jelena Milos (Mozemo party) announced that her party would demand that the minimum wage be calculated on the basis of the real cost of living according to a clear and transparent formula. She will also demand that the minimum wage does not take into account length of service and that it is adjusted twice a year in line with inflation.

Anka Mrak-Taritas (GLAS party) called on the governing coalition to come out of its “ivory tower” and see how people live and what they are doing to keep young skilled workers in Croatia.