As Zagreb gears up for a spectacle on its main square Trg Bana Jelacic at the end of this month, the debate once again emerges around Marko Perkovic Thompson, Croatia’s leading rock star of present times. Thompson will take to the stage in the Croatian capital city as part of the celebrations recognising those who came from Zagreb to fight for the freedom of Croatia. Currently in Germany, Thompson’s concerts have seen protests from Serbian and Jewish groups who claim that he glorifies Croatia’s part in the holocaust. Along side this have been uneasy murmurings amongst the general population who in Germany are especially quick to distance themselves from anything controversial concerning the Second World War given their country’s role and the strong sense of united guilt which is taught in the country’s education system.

Last summer there was a similar uproar as Thompson’s “Bilo jednom u Hrvatskoj” tour rolled into Zagreb. This was one of the most eagerly anticipated concerts in the country’s history and was a true extravaganza of both music and patriotism. The waving of Croatian flags at Thompson’s concerts is nothing new, neither is the wearing of t-shirts featuring the face of Croatian General Ante Gotovina, but the Zagreb concert, held at the huge Maksimir Stadium was something different. Zagreb is viewed as the intellectual centre of Croatia, in tune with its Austrian heritage preserved in the cities architecture and somewhat detached from the more provocative nationalism found in Dalmatia and Hercegovina. To generalise entirely and call the concert provocative would be too strong, but it could have very provocative for those whose families did suffer as a result of the Second World War Ustasa regime. The overwhelming majority of fans were in a patriotic mood, carried along by the music, but a very small minority went beyond the boundaries of what was acceptable, wearing Ustasa hats or t-shirts featuring Ustasa insignia. Obviously, Serbian mainstream media and independent websites and blogs who have a pro-Serb agenda were quick to carry photos of the controversial fans, portraying it as though these were the only people who attended the concert, and not picturing the thousands of average respectable people who also went along for a night of great music and entertainment.

Essentially, what must be decided is whether the accusations that Thompson is a glorifier of the holocaust are true. This can be decided through his music and his comments far more convincingly than through some misguided teenagers who wear a controversial hat without fully understanding its meaning. Giving an interview to Hrvatski Radio Frankfurt, in his own words, Thompson says “I’m a patriot, not a Nazi” and if one is to look at the set list from the Maksimir concert then it would be impossible to find anything to support the claims that Thompson is the rabid Nazi that some would wish to see him categorised as. His most recent album, “Bilo jednom u Hrvatskoj”, is a celebration of Croatian myth, beauty and history while his most famous and popular song “Lijepa li si” is a geographical tour around the lands of the Croatian nation. And whilst some people will still come to Thompson’s concert’s wearing Ustasa emblems, Thompson has himself said live on stage, such as before his concert in Vukovar, “Wear the emblems of the victorious Croatian army, and not of the Ustasa!”, because, after all, it should not be forgotten that Thompson was himself one of the men who fought for Croatia against the invading Serbs.

Of course, Thompson has made mistakes with comments he has made, but these, given his huge public profile, are relatively old and sound like the words of a man who speaks his mind a little too freely. It is not surprising that Thompson feels a prejudice against Serbs, and nor is he the only Croat to have such feelings. Having fought in the war, Thompson literally put his life at risk to defend Croatia and the threat he faced was a faceless Serbian army. This more or less explains one of Thompson’s controversial songs, “Anica Kninska Kraljica”, in which he sings “I’ll set fire to two or three Serb headquarters, for my trip not to be in vain”. Those lyrics seem shocking, but let us not forget that the song was written in 1993, at a time when the city of Knin, where the song is set, was held by an illegal Serbian paramilitary organisation despite Croatian sovereignty of the land.

The motives of those who so virulently protest against Thompson should equally be put under scrutiny if they are to demand this treatment of Thompson. It seems clear that on occasions Thompson’s reputation precedes his, as shown by the B’nai B’rith organisation which released an entirely unfounded statement claiming that Thompson had sung a song claiming that both he and his father were proud Ustasa members. Equally, when Thompson’s Sarajevo concert was disrupted by Serbian bomb threats it seems obvious that it is his position as a Croatian nationalist icon that forces him to court controversy.

It can be argued that as Thompson looks to avoid international bands which would prevent him performing abroad, as is already the case in the Netherlands, he has had to tone down his nationalist and controversial rhetoric. It would be hard to dispute this, but in the context of the events of the Balkans during the 1990s this still does not make Thompson a Nazi. When Thompson comes to Zagreb on 30th May, it would be best if those who wish to go and enjoy his music attend the concert while those who wish to embroil it in controversy and those who wish to moan because it does not fit their personal views stay away.

Thompson official site
24 Sata article
Feral Tribune selection of controversial quotes