Marko Perković Thompson’s concert was held at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, where it gathered around 6,500 attendees. During the performance, the song 'Bojna Čavoglave' was played, accompanied by the controversial Ustaše salute 'Za dom spremni'. German media reported that symbols with neo-fascist connotations were displayed at the concert, which sparked further controversy.
Despite pressure from representatives of several parties in the Stuttgart city council who sought to ban the concert, the daily Stuttgarter Zeitung reported that there was no legal basis for a ban. It is important to note that the left holds the majority in the Stuttgart city council, and the state premier comes from the ranks of the Greens. An official interpreter was present at the concert.
After the concert, Thompson’s management requested permission to hold another performance in Stuttgart, this time at the Hanns Martin Schleyer Hall, which holds up to 15,000 attendees. The decision to issue the permit will depend on the assessment of how the concert at the Porsche Arena went.
Ivan Matijević, president of Zagreb HDZ, took the opportunity to criticise Zagreb’s authorities, accusing Možemo of political censorship. He highlighted that what was permitted to the singer in Germany is banned in Zagreb, and asked whether Mayor Tomašević and the Zagreb authorities would declare their Stuttgart counterparts Ustaše. Matijević assessed that the Zagreb administration is autocratic and aggressive, emphasising the differences in approach towards the same events in the two environments.
