Serbian tabloids and nationalist groups criticised Croatia’s government Wednesday after a controversial singer performed at a public celebration in Zagreb marking the national handball team’s bronze medal at the European Championship, reviving long-standing political and historical tensions between the two neighbours.
The performance by Marko Perković Thompson, whose past concerts and lyrics have drawn accusations of glorifying Croatia’s World War Two-era Ustashe movement, took place at Ban Jelačić Square after the Croatian government intervened to allow his appearance, overriding opposition from Zagreb city authorities, according to Croatian media.
Belgrade-based daily Kurir, which is widely seen as supportive of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, described the event as a “night of shame” and accused Prime Minister Andrej Plenković’s government of tolerating extremist symbolism under the guise of patriotism. The newspaper said the celebration had shifted from a sporting event to what it called a “political-ideological spectacle”.
Serbian historian Ognjen Karanović was quoted by local media as calling the event “organised glorification of extremism”, while some outlets alleged that the Croatian Handball Federation and players had conditioned the celebration on Thompson’s participation, a claim not independently verified.
Croatian officials rejected the accusations. Plenković said he saw “no extremist symbols” during the event and defended the decision to allow the singer to perform, arguing the focus should remain on the team’s sporting success.
The controversy has also drawn reactions from Serbian political organisations. Miodrag Linta, head of the Union of Serbs from the Region, called on the European Union to consider restrictions on Thompson’s concerts across member states, describing him as a promoter of hate speech. Separately, Mile Bosnić, head of an association representing displaced Serbs from Croatia, accused Zagreb of “institutional tolerance” of nationalism, comments reported by Serbia’s state news agency Tanjug.
Relations between Serbia and Croatia have remained strained since the wars of the 1990s, with disputes over war crimes, minority rights and historical interpretation continuing to surface in public debate.