FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl is appealing to the grocery trade to launch a voluntary initiative to curb inflation in basic foodstuffs. Retail chains should define a shopping basket of price-stable essential goods to ensure affordable access to basic food items, according to the proposal. Kickl sent a letter outlining his plan to the Retail Association and major supermarket chains on Saturday, according to FPÖ statements.
In the letter, the Freedom Party chairman criticized what he called the government’s “fruitless partisan debates” and called for “a patriotic alliance of reason.” The proposed “Austria Basket,” consisting of price-stable products from all key categories, should be created on a voluntary basis to provide rapid and tangible relief for consumers. Kickl emphasized that his proposal is an invitation to dialogue, adding that FPÖ experts are prepared to assist in implementing the model both politically and through communication.
Modelled On Greece; Retailers And Farmers Skeptical
The FPÖ’s proposal takes inspiration from Greece, where a “household basket” introduced in 2022 was also recommended by the union-affiliated Momentum Institute as a potential anti-inflation measure. Under the Greek model, major supermarkets were required to offer at least one item per product group—covering 31 food categories—at a reduced price, which could be changed weekly.
The Retail Association announced that it would carefully examine the FPÖ’s proposal, as it does with all political initiatives. However, it stressed: “The root cause of inflation does not lie within the domestic food trade, which, like consumers themselves, is affected by inflation, but rather in high energy and procurement costs and many other index-based expenses such as rising government fees,” said Retail Association managing director Rainer Will in a statement to APA.
The Austrian Farmers’ Association also expressed skepticism about the FPÖ’s proposal. “If there is to be a shopping basket, then only with Austrian products,” said Farmers’ Association President Georg Strasser in a statement. Price dumping must not be the result. “We don’t need the lowest price, but a fair price for everyone along the value chain.” FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz countered that the “Austria Basket” would be an opportunity for both consumers and domestic producers, accusing Strasser of “cheap party politics.”
