RITAM POSLA Sabina Škrtić

Guest Sabina ŠkrtićHosted by Lidija KiselyakMay 3, 2026

Sabina Škrtić

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Sabina Škrtić has spent nearly three decades navigating the highest echelons of both Croatia's public and private sectors, from highly organized corporations like Saponia and Adris to the Ministry of Economy and the dynamic Enna Group. Now an independent consultant, she brings a panoramic view to the country's economic landscape, especially its persistent structural challenges. Her experience has given her a sharp eye for the difference between genuine solutions and well-intentioned but ultimately ineffective public responses. In this conversation, she dissects recent events, particularly a consumer boycott, to reveal deeper issues of critical thinking, institutional responsibility, and the urgent need for long-term strategic direction. Readers will walk away with a clearer understanding of why some societal reactions to economic pressures often miss the mark, and what it truly takes for a country to build sustainable prosperity.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Sabina Škrtić's career began as a trainee in Saponia, a system she describes as "iznimno organiziran" and valuing clear roles and processes. Even after decades spent in crisis management and restructuring across diverse sectors, she credits that early exposure to structured discipline as foundational. The most effective leaders in volatile environments often start by internalizing rigid process discipline.

The recent consumer boycott, according to Sabina Škrtić, revealed a deeper societal problem: a "nedostatak kritičkog promišljanja." When public sentiment drives action without analysis, even well-intentioned movements risk overlooking the systemic causes and unintended consequences.

When representatives from the Ministry of Economy or the Croatian Chamber of Economy initially supported the consumer boycott, Sabina Škrtić saw it as a critical misstep. Institutions with regulatory tools like inspectorates and competition agencies should use those powers to address market issues, not validate street-level protests.

A general boycott, Sabina Škrtić argues, fails to account for the small, family-run shops and local producers who are often suppliers to larger chains. The consequence of broad-stroke public action is that it often hurts the most vulnerable parts of the economy, not just the intended targets.

Sabina Škrtić warns that when society is "skloni zbrzati, oduševiti se nekakvom idejom" (prone to rushing and getting excited by an idea), the outcome is usually "tresla se brda, rodio se miš" — a lot of noise for little effect. Such unexamined enthusiasm not only fails to solve problems but also erodes trust in future civic engagement.

The danger of uncritical, fleeting public initiatives, Sabina Škrtić explains, is like the story of the boy who cried wolf: "Previše puta si vikao to je vuk, to je vuk. Onda kad je vuk stvarno došao, nitko ti nije vjerovao." When civic spirit is invoked for ill-conceived actions, it becomes desensitized and ineffective when truly needed.

Confronting inflation demands "strukturirane mjere koje ciljano pogađaju upravo te strukturne uzroke inflacije," Sabina Škrtić insists, rather than broad, untargeted actions like boycotts. Economic challenges are best met with surgical precision, not blunt force.

Explore further

ScenariosBusiness challenges CardsEducational cards TimelineTopic evolution