Zagreb, 7 July 2025 (Hina/MIA) -- Croatia's Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter has condemned the behavior of a section of the public and the use of Ustasha symbols and salutes before and during Saturday's concert by Marko Perković Thompson, saying the relevant authorities and organizers failed to publicly denounce such displays.

She noted that this “particularly refers to the footage of a crowd singing an unequivocally Ustasha song in Bogovićeva Street in Zagreb the day before the concert, as well as the echoing of the Ustasha salute ‘For the homeland, ready’ by a large number of people.”

She added that this “shows that over the years, and again in the lead-up to this concert, a sufficiently clear message has not been sent about what constitutes unacceptable and illegal expressions of hatred and glorification of the darkest chapters of the past.”

She said “the day after the concert, alongside praise for the organization of this large-scale event, which undeniably went more smoothly than many had predicted, what also resonates loudly is the absence of public condemnation of such behavior by high-ranking officials, the competent institutions involved in organizing the event, and the organizers themselves, who witnessed such behavior yet did not distance themselves from associations with the Ustasha regime.”

She said such a regime could not and must not be part of Croatia's present or future, as it was founded on hatred and mass killings of people of different nationalities, faiths and political beliefs.

The ombudswoman said “the state has failed in its duty to, through the education system, clearly separate Croatia, patriotism and the values that unite us from everything that lies on the opposite side of humanity,” adding that Croatia today is clearly distinguished from the 1941-45 Independent State of Croatia by its Constitution.

She called on the relevant authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure that a modern, independent Croatia in the 21st century can look itself in the mirror and firmly say “no” to any behavior that associates it with that undemocratic and inhumane regime, just as was intended by the very first Constitution.

Youth Initiative: Thompson concert an attack on constitutional values
 
 
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights described Thompson's concert as "the largest attack on Croatia's constitutional values since the late 1990s and a direct attack on the fundamental values of the EU."

They added that it is also a serious threat to the long-term survival of Croatia's democratic system.

"The multi-day movement marked by symbols and messages of hate culminated in the shouting of the Ustasha slogan in the presence of hundreds of thousands of people, becoming the largest (pro)fascist gathering held in Europe since World War II," the Youth Initiative for Human Rights stressed in a statement.

They pointed out that the Constitutional Court has repeatedly ruled that the slogan "Za dom spremni" ("For the homeland, ready") is incompatible with the Croatian Constitution and that it is an Ustasha salute inseparable from the Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia.

Furthermore, several laws -- including the Criminal Code, the Offenses against Public Order and Peace Act and the Anti-Discrimination Act -- prohibit incitement to hatred and the display of fascist symbols.

"Despite attempts to portray this concert as a patriotic event deeply connected with Christian values, the behavior of the singer and the audience shows that it is in fact the spread of an ideology that denies fundamental state values and behavior that shows disregard for the laws and the Constitution of our country," the statement warned.

It emphasized that promoting totalitarian ideologies contradicts the fundamental values of Croatia and constitutes political extremism. "It is particularly worrying that the glorification of Ustashism receives tacit or open support from state institutions instead of clear condemnation."

Ahead of the concert, the Youth Initiative rented several billboards and put up posters with the message: "Antifascism is the greatest concept in the world," aiming to remind people that modern Croatian statehood was founded in opposition to the proclamation of the Independent State of Croatia -- that is, against fascism and Ustashism.

They stressed that in today's democratic Croatia and Europe, antifascism is not an ideological choice nor does it glorify totalitarian regimes, but rather represents a civilizational value and a prerequisite for a free society.

The Youth Initiative for Human Rights called on the government, especially the Ministry of the Interior and police departments, to sanction the display of symbols and public expression of illegal and unconstitutional messages regardless of the number of people involved.

They urged the Mayor of Zagreb to condemn hatred and present measures to "protect and calm citizens disturbed by the apparent local suspension of laws protecting the fundamental constitutional values of the state and the city."

They also called on both the government and the City of Zagreb to financially support civic education measures, and on the President of the Republic to publicly condemn the mass display of symbols and illegal and unconstitutional messages.

Finally, they called on the European Parliament and European Commission to increase funding for education, youth exchanges and programs that protect the fundamental values of the Union in Croatia.