In this pair of essays, award-winning journalists Hrvoje Šimičević and Barbara Matejčić expose the turn in Croatia’s political trends, showing how “moderate” pro-European governments have opened the floodgates for far-right radicalism and fascism to transition from the societal fringes into the mainstream. Šimičević weaves these histories around a chilling turning point: a Thompson concert in which hundreds of thousands chanted the Ustaše salute. Matejčić then reveals the civic response and defiant resistance to the politics of fear and escalating attacks against Serbians and other minorities. At the heart of these texts is a struggle over the meaning of Croatia itself: will it belong to the loudest voices or to all who live there?

U ova dva eseja, nagrađivani novinari Hrvoje Šimičević i Barbara Matejčić opisuju političke promjene u Hrvatskoj, pokazujući kako su samozvane umjerene proeuropske vlade imale ključnu ulogu u pomicanju fašizma i krajnje desnog radikalizma s društvenih rubova u političku srednju struju. Šimičević plete povijest te pojave oko jezive prekretnice: Thompsonovog koncerta na kojem su stotine tisuća posjetitelja izvikivale ustaški pozdrav. Matejčić zatim prikazuje odgovor građana i prkosan otpor politici straha i eskalaciji napada na Srbe i druge manjine. U srži ovih tekstova leži borba za značenje Hrvatske: hoće li zemlja pripadati onima koji najglasnije viču ili svima koji u njoj žive?

Since 2016, Hrvoje Šimičević has served as an investigative journalist at the weekly newspaper Novosti, focusing on the social and political pathologies of post-Yugoslav society in Croatia, where his work examines the rise of nationalism and the revival of neofascist ideologies.

Barbara Matejčić is a freelance journalist, nonfiction writer and audio producer focused on social affairs and human rights in the Balkan region. Barbara collaborates with activists, artists and scholars, as well as with international and Balkan media, and produces multimedia projects. 
 

11 INTRODUCTION

21 UVOD

Hrvoje Šimičević

31 THE SOUNDTRACK OF CROATIAN FASCISM: Thompson and the Political Normalization of the Abnormal

61 SOUNDTRACK HRVATSKOG FAŠIZMA: Thompson i Politička Normalizacija Nenormalnog

Barbara Matejčić

89 IMPERFECT RESISTANCE: How People in Croatia Are Resisting a Fascist Movement Disguised as National Unity

103 NESAVRŠENI OTPOR: Kako se Hrvatski Građani Odupiru Fašističkom Pokretu Upakiranom kao Nacionalno Jedinstvo