PILLORY AT ALL COSTS

Enthusiasm was visible during the preparations for the euro’s introduction and the methods against any consequent price increase. Nowadays, the blacklists of transgressive businessmen, who were expected to take advantage of the new currency for their own benefit, are being perceived in a perplexing way. The authors of the so-called consumers‘ pillory, face criticism, requests, and threats. The latest thing is that they have had legal actions taken against them. They also have to explain the doubts in regard to handling the government money which they received. The inspiration to publicly pillory those who increased prices in the time of the euro’s arrival, came from Slovenia. There, the list of “criminals” was made by the Slovenian Consumers Association, which has built a good reputation in the country and has a stable 3-branch system of financing. In Slovakia the project was supposed to be taken over by a non-governmental organization for the money allocated annually from the Ministry of Economy for consumer associations. But the four-member commission consisting of the representatives of the Ministry, the Central Bank and governmental mandates, did not have an easy time choosing an organization. There was no organization with sufficient experience with such an expansive monitoring. Finally, the winner was the Slovak Consumer Association, which though, did not go to Slovenians for advice. I Pg 20