Some call for the transformation of Croatia into a European version of the American symbol of comfortable retirement, while others dismiss it with disdain, but the comparison of the two countries suggests that it is not realistic anyway. Croatia is, by all indicators, far from the 27th American state and, it seems, will remain so. It can get closer by developing health tourism and related forms of tourism and attracting wealthier European retirees, but that is where the similarities end. Florida, with its tax policy, infrastructure, and amenities, attracts foreigners to settle there long-term and enjoy a pleasant old age. Croatia also attracts them with its tax policy, but for them to build apartments and earn from renting to others. Why Croatia will never be Florida is written by Željka Laslavić in the topic of the week.
Not so long ago, in January 2020, at the dawn of anti-pandemic measures that globally and permanently changed the face of the economy, the European Central Bank intended to revise its policy and goals towards inflation growth – to the desired two percent. At that time, the still fresh ECB president Christine Lagarde stated that the revision would attempt to stabilize prices, which is the main goal of monetary policy. Indeed, despite years of monetary easing on an unprecedented scale, the ECB has failed to revive inflation to the desired two percent and accelerate the growth rate. The key question circulating in the bank’s hallways at that time was whether to tolerate higher inflation to compensate for its long-standing shortfall. Ahead of the then formal revision of the policy framework, the majority of governors took the position that the ECB should target symmetrical inflation instead of aiming for inflation ‘close, but below two percent’. And all about the current inflation is written by Gordana Gelenčer.
