Published 12.11.2025. | Nina Sauerborn
Day after day, we witness intolerance towards others and those who are different
In the Republic of Croatia, we have recently witnessed more and more violence and outbursts of hatred, intolerance towards others and those who are different, Serbs, activists of peace and human rights organizations. Attempts are being made to divide Croatian society, to present it as ultra-right, closed in narrow nationalist frameworks. Attempts are being made to achieve the illusion of homogeneity through false patriotism, threats and manipulation of citizens. Behind everything, which is transparent, obvious, there are the interests of individuals, their ambitions, but also the interests of certain groups, whose task is to destabilize Croatian society. Whether it is the inability of the political leadership to cope, or the inability to solve the burning issues of the Croatian economy, or the maintenance of the current situation due to the retention of the privileges of the political elites, Croatian society is slowly sinking into the blackness of the specter of the past.
Topics, which should have been sorted out and archived a long time ago, are being brought into focus again, or at least they are trying to do so. Violence, intolerance, hate speech, which social networks are full of, are becoming part of our everyday life. It is as if we have forgotten that freedom of speech is not an infinite right set up for abuse. Democratic values have never been more threatened, and hate speech has never been more present. Violation of other people's rights and freedoms under the guise of patriotism and preservation of values must not be allowed. Croatian society is increasingly divided and unity is becoming a foreign concept. There is a normalization of extremist ideologies that have no place when we talk about equality and equality for all. Croatia, as a welfare state, has a duty to ensure autonomy and rights for all who live in it.
Threats to Serb and other national minorities indicate a significant deterioration in the environment of the rights of national minorities. This context is not helped by the increasingly popular music events where nationalist rhetoric is spreading. Unfortunately, we are witnessing more and more frequent verbal outbursts, rallies, threats, which, if they are not stopped, if they are not stopped, threaten to spill over into the streets as part of national folklore, part of normal behavior. Taking away the right to insult on social networks, taking away the right to be an arbiter, taking away the right to call for violence against dissidents, against national minorities, taking away the right to manipulate minors, who are pushed into violence, into behavior prohibited by law, is dangerous and deserves a sharp reaction from society. The apparent calming of the situation, relativization, justification of certain groups, irresponsible, incoherent commentary on political actors, will not help in solving the problem, which is creeping into the pores of Croatian society.
We, the members of the Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights, have the need to resist and call on citizens to resist the wave of hatred, exclusivity and violence. We join the resistance of citizens and civic, professional and civil society organizations, artists, journalists and individuals from religious communities who creatively criticize the situation and create places of freedom for themselves and others.
We call on the holders of political power/political decision-makers and all public institutions responsible for the security and survival of the Republic of Croatia as a constitutional, parliamentary and social state to give up particular interests and do their utmost to protect these values in practice without delay.
We call on all of us to have the courage to resist hatred and politics based on the abolition of the dignity of every person, and at the same time to open, dialogue and cooperation in the search for common ground for our Croatian society.
