We used to have a slaughterhouse in the town of Čapljina /Many Serb bodies were washed away by the river Neretva.
This summer, an unexpected series of events ignited a nationwide debate in Croatia about the country’s history, its political culture, and, most crucially, its future. Two massive far-right concerts (the first reportedly drawing half a million people), a military parade, and several traditional celebrations — together with strikingly inflammatory statements from government officials — left many questioning whether Croatia had lurched to the right virtually overnight.
This is not merely an exaggerated interpretation coming from a few left-wing “snowflakes.” Even one of Croatia’s major TV stations aired a special program about the events, which opened with the statement: “Half of Croatia views July 5 as the start of something beautiful, while the other half sees it as the beginning of something troubling.”
That date had seen a massive concert by far-right folk-rock star Marko Perković, nicknamed Thompson (after the submachine gun), held at the Zagreb Hippodrome. Initially scheduled for May, just before local elections, the concert was widely perceived as a right-wing challenge to the Croatian capital city’s administration, which is led by the Greens with Social Democratic support. Citing scheduling conflicts, authorities postponed the event to a date after the elections, in which they retained control.
How could a concert threaten city hall? Thompson’s concerts are never merely cultural events. For over two decades, they have served as massive political rallies, marked by provocative messages, sloganeering, and banners. His songs…
Auteur: Nikola Vukobratović
