In the early days of September, tens of thousands of Zagreb's citizens descended on their capital not merely to protest garbage, but to contest the deeper compact between a people and those who govern them. Croatia's waste crisis — months of stalled cleanups and failing infrastructure — had crossed the threshold from bureaucratic failure into lived grievance, transforming private frustration into collective political will. The rally stands as a reminder that environmental neglect is rarely only technical; it becomes, in time, a question of trust and accountability. Whether the government hears