In response to the concert by Marko Perković Thompson held in Zagreb on Sunday, which reportedly drew more than half a million attendees and sparked various reactions across Croatia and the region—particularly due to the singer’s use of the Ustasha salute “For the homeland, ready”—Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (HDZ) stated that this was consistent with the past 35 years, calling the opposition’s response a case of politicization that serves little purpose, according to N1.

Plenković remarked that he would not prohibit the song “Bojna Čavoglave,” which opens with the aforementioned Ustasha salute, emphasizing the need to view it in the context of “aggression and occupation” that accompanied its creation during the civil war in Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

He characterized Thompson’s concert as “an organizational success that we can all take pride in.”

“It’s not every day that 500,000 people gather to listen to one artist, and the event went off without a hitch. My political assessment is that his concert was similar to those over the last 35 years. The surprise over one song’s performance is particularly baffling, especially since the courts have already weighed in,” Plenković explained, adding that police would look into isolated incidents involving unauthorized signs and songs but he had nothing further to say.

“Furthermore, it’s important to note that the City of Zagreb was in charge of the event’s organization, while the Government focused on its responsibilities in such matters. Overall, it went as expected,” he mentioned.

He stated that for the past 20 years he has consistently condemned what is illegal.

“As for the opposition, they seem well-bred, just like the left-leaning media, given the significant turnout at the concert and the smooth proceedings. Their reaction was excessive and solely political in nature, lacking any utility. In terms of organization, everything went splendidly. Naturally, I anticipated that attention would focus on the opening words of ‘Bojna Čavoglave,’ which has existed for 34 years and will probably continue for another 100. We will not ban the song, as no court has mandated such an action. Additionally, there are police responses and court rulings to consider. It’s important to provide context regarding when the song was created, during wartime amid aggression and occupation,” Plenković clarified.

The Croatian Prime Minister noted that the contentious song is an integral part of every Thompson concert repertoire.

“Thompson is unique in his ability to draw half a million attendees, and I’m unsure who’s complaining more—those on the right due to their lack of access, or those on the left. What were we supposed to say? Prohibit him? Then we would be accused of censorship. Why didn’t the opposition raise similar concerns back in the 1990s?” he queried.

He further mentioned that he attended the concert rehearsal to observe the preparations and wanted to take a photo with Thompson mainly because, as he noted, his children were eager for an autograph.

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