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eNCA
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- eNCA
Croatia govt lashed over 'disgraceful neo-fascist Woodstock'
A massive concert in Croatia by a singer notorious for his pro-Nazi sympathies was branded a "neo-fascist Woodstock" Monday, with the opposition calling it a "global disgrace" that the prime minister was photographed with him beforehand. Marko Perkovic, known by his stage name Thompson, drew nearly half a million fans to the show Saturday despite having been banned from performing in several countries because of his sympathies for Croatia's World War II fascist Ustasha regime. The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascist Croatians during the war, and sent others to concentration camps. The folk-rock icon became popular for his nationalist songs in the 1990s during the country's war of independence as Yugoslavia broke up. During Saturday's concert at the Zagreb hippodrome Thompson sang one of his most famous songs that starts with the illegal Ustasha salute -- "Za Dom, Spremni" ("For the Homeland, Ready") -- and the crowd responded. - 'Global disgrace' - AFP | DAMIR SENCAR The salute was also used by the far-right paramilitary unit HOS during the 1990s war, and the singer argued earlier the song referred to that war. Many fans at the show were dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan and dozens sang pro-Ustasha songs in central Zagreb on the eve of the event. Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic attended the rehearsal and had a photo taken with the singer, while parliamentary speaker Gordan Jandrokovic was at the event. The massive use of the Ustasha symbols and slogan at the concert was slammed by left-wing opposition, NGOs and the EU nation's ombudswoman. But Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said he "cannot understand those who try to portray half a million people as extremists or radicals". The main opposition Social Democrats said "we witnessed a global disgrace in which extremist messages received state logistics and direct support from the top of the government." And a columnist in the Jutarnji list daily lashed Plenkovic's visit on the eve of the concert as "coming to worship... a neo-fascist Woodstock". The Youth Initiative for Human Rights NGO called the event "the largest fascist rally held in Europe since World War II" and said it represented a "direct attack on the fundamental values of the European Union." AFP | DAMIR SENCAR Ombudswoman Tena Simonovic Einwalter warned about condoning a large crowd using the Ustasha salute "as if it were something acceptable and legal. "A sufficiently clear message was not sent that all expressions of hatred and glorification of the darkest periods of the past are unacceptable and illegal." In recent years, more people have been pushing for Croatia to stop demonising and embrace its pro-Nazi past, presenting the Ustasha as the nation's founding fathers, with critics accusing the authorities of failing to sanction the use of their emblems.
Toronto Sun
27-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Windswept island Pag brings taste of Croatia to the world
Published Jun 27, 2025 • Last updated 6 minutes ago • 3 minute read A ring of Pag cheese in Gligora Cheese factory in town of Kolan at the island of Pag, Croatia, on June 11, 2025. Photo by DAMIR SENCAR / AFP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. PAG, Croatia — From Croatia's mainland, most of Pag looks inhospitably grey and rocky, but the island's lunar-like landscape is key to producing its delicious staple. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Paski sir, the distinctive, hard Pag cheese, as it is known in Croatian, is the highly-prized product of herb-grazing sheep that cling to the rugged terrain in the face of fierce Adriatic winds. 'It contains the very essence of this island,' Martina Pernar Skunca, the marketing manager of the oldest cheese factory on Pag, told AFP. Located 40 kilometres northeast of the coastal city of Zadar, the island of Pag hosts around 40,000 woolly locals — about five times its human population. Grazing freely, the fluffy flock feast on various herbs and aromatic plants, including sage, lavender and curry plant, all coated in sea salt whipped up by bora winds — giving the cheese its world-famous flavour, Pernar Skunca from the Paska Sirana cheese factory said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Aged for at least 60 days and often compared to Italian Pecorino Sardo or Spanish Manchego, it boasts a marble texture and savoury flavour that becomes spicier with maturity. 'In our blood' Founded in 1946, Paska Sirana — which makes around 80 tons of its star product annually — still purchases most of its milk from families living on the island. 'Our ancestors have always done it; it's in our blood, and we cannot do without it,' said Marin Valentic, who runs the small Skrivanat cheese factory using methods almost unchanged for generations. At Gligora Sirana, one of the island's most acclaimed factories, manager Ruzica Gligora agrees that family tradition is key to the cheese's success. 'From the very beginning, when my father-in-law Ivan Gligora founded the factory, he had the idea of making the best cheese in the world,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Their founder's goal seems to have paid off, with Michelin-starred chefs from the International Taste Institute describing Gligora's Paski sir as a 'pure delight' that 'brings full and complex flavours to the palate and melts nicely in the mouth'. In recognition of Paski sir's value, the European Union has afforded it a Protected Designation of Origin status, shielding it from copycats in the same way as champagne. 'Hard job' However, cheese makers say that milk production is decreasing annually as the industry competes for workers against Croatia's booming tourism sector. Around 20 million tourists a year flock to Croatia, drawn by its stunning coastline and picturesque cities, but its population of 3.8 million is struggling to keep up. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Alongside tourism, farmers can be tempted to focus on a less labour intensive specialty of the island — Pag lamb. 'Pag is a beautiful touristic place, and gives a lot of opportunities to earn money in an easier way,' Pernar Skunca said. 'This is a hard job, since in the production season from January to June, no matter what is happening in one's life or weather conditions, sheep need to be milked twice a day.' The conditions can be brutal with winter gusts from the Velebit mountains hammering the island, sometimes reaching over 200 km per hour. Producers say interest in the cheese is only growing, with all varieties — some infused with cherry, others matured for 24 months — in demand. 'Everyone wants to try it, to learn why it is so special,' said Valentic, who has a flock of around 120 sheep. The 40-year-old farmer welcomes the demand but stressed that Pag's unique landscape only offers so much grazing land. 'We are simply limited by the capacity.' Toronto Raptors Sunshine Girls Canada Celebrity Toronto & GTA
