Sunday Is For The Man… Just Like Any Other Day?

Next Tuesday is going to be very interesting day for future of Croatia. Constitutional Court is supposed to publish its verdict on the ammendemnts to Commerce Act – piece of legislation that banned shops from working on Sundays.

Few weeks ago Croatian media speculated about Constitutional Court deciding to strike down that particular law and allowing shops to be open on Sundays. Speculations were based on four Court justices of right-wing persuasion expressing their displeasure with the verdict. It was speculated that Court postponed its verdict in order not to anger Catholic Church - law's main proponent – during Easter holidays.

In the meantime, Church raised the ante by issuing document Nedjelja radi čovjeka (Nedjelja radi čovjeka) – "Sunday Is For The Man" - that suggests Sunday work ban should be broadened to caffes, bars and sport institutions.

It is going to be very interesting to see how would Sanader's government react to the verdict. On one hand, the law is unpopular, retail business is 30% down, thousands people lost their jobs. On the other hand, Sanader needs support of Church for his project of "kinder and gentler" HDZ to be accepted by more right-wing segments of his electorate.