Fact check: Are there strikes due to inflation right now in Croatia?

1. Summary of the results

There is indeed a significant nationwide shopping boycott (not traditional strikes) occurring in Croatia on January 24, 2025. This has been confirmed by multiple sources with concrete evidence showing:

• Sales dropped by 40% in receipts and 47% in total turnover compared to the previous week ^[1]
• The boycott is specifically targeting high food prices and inflation ^{[1] [2]}
• Food prices have increased by up to 34% over the past three years ^[2]
• Croatia currently has the highest inflation rate in the Eurozone ^{[3] [3]}

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements were missing from the original question:

• This is a grassroots movement organized through social media ^{[3] [3] [3]}
• The protest has broad institutional support, including:
• Consumer groups
• Trade unions
• Opposition parties
• Local celebrities
• Even the Economy Minister Ante Susnjar ^{[1] [2]}
• The European Central Bank (ECB) provides a different perspective, suggesting that while there were some price increases after Croatia adopted the euro, the overall impact has been relatively mild, with inflation showing signs of moderation ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question about "strikes" is somewhat misleading:

• This is actually a consumer boycott, not traditional labor strikes ^{[1] [2]}
• The movement is more complex than just inflation protests - it's specifically targeting retail chains and their pricing practices ^[3]
• Different stakeholders have different perspectives:
• Consumer groups and unions benefit from highlighting the severity of inflation
• The ECB has an interest in downplaying the impact of euro adoption on prices ^[4]
• Retail chains would benefit from minimizing the significance of the boycott
• The government appears to be straddling both sides, with the Economy Minister supporting the boycott while also being part of the system being protested against ^[2]