Croatian historian Hrvoje Klasić said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is using the controversial singer Marko Perković Thompson to keep right-wing voters aligned with the ruling HDZ party, amid renewed debate over nationalism, free speech, and historical memory in Croatia.
Speaking on N1 television, Klasić said the controversy surrounding Thompson’s appearance at a reception for Croatia’s national handball team highlighted what he described as selective interpretations of freedom of expression.
“The argument that ‘the players wanted it’ is applied selectively,” Klasić said, adding that similar deference would be unlikely if athletes had requested performers associated with the political left or regional pop culture.
Thompson, whose concerts have long drawn criticism for alleged links to far-right symbolism, has divided Croatian public opinion for years. Supporters view him as a patriotic figure, while critics say his performances normalise historical revisionism and extremist rhetoric.
Klasić said Plenković faces a structural challenge as leader of a centre-right party with a strong nationalist wing.
“He leads a party whose political habitus he does not naturally belong to, so he constantly has to prove himself to the right, including the far right,” Klasić said.
According to Klasić, HDZ has learned that distancing itself from nationalist voters risks losing parts of its base to new right-wing movements, a pattern seen repeatedly since the 1990s.
He also said Croatian political discourse has for years relied on the idea of a “common enemy”, arguing that as ethnic Serbs have lost their role as an internal political adversary, other groups – including leftists, anti-fascists and the LGBT community – have increasingly been framed as threats.
Klasić compared these trends to broader shifts in Europe and the United States, where right-wing populist narratives have gained traction.
Plenković and the HDZ have defended their positions as pragmatic and inclusive, while rejecting accusations of tolerating extremism. The prime minister has previously said his government remains committed to democratic values and Croatia’s constitutional order.
Debates over nationalism, antifascism, and cultural identity continue to play a central role in Croatian politics, particularly as parties position themselves ahead of future elections.