Parliament on Fire: Pupovac, Jurčević, and Bulj Tear Apart the Political Scene Over ‘Za dom spremni’!
Today, the Croatian Parliament exploded into a verbal war that raised dust to the ceiling! It all started when MOST party MP Miro Bulj ended his speech with the controversial salute “Za dom spremni” — a salute that has been a stumbling block in Croatian politics for years. Bulj called on citizens to attend the Days of Alka, the Sinj Madonna celebration, the Oluja commemoration, and a concert by Marko Perković Thompson, ending his speech with a salute that sparked a storm of reactions.
Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković immediately reacted: “You are not Thompson, you don’t look like an Ustaša to me… you are simply provoking.” Jandroković made it clear that the salute “Za dom spremni” has a double meaning — on one hand linked to the NDH and the Ustaša regime, which is unacceptable and punishable, and on the other hand linked to HOS and the Homeland War. However, he warned that Bulj was not speaking in the context of the Homeland War.
This was followed by a flood of reactions. The Možemo club requested a statement from the parliamentary committee, while SDP MPs Marija Lugarić and Marin Živković said Bulj should have been immediately sanctioned for spreading hate speech.
The fiercest clash occurred between Milorad Pupovac (SDSS) and Josip Jurčević (NZ). Pupovac sharply condemned the salute “Za dom spremni” as an Ustaša greeting and accused Bulj of using it solely for political points. He reminded of the recent singing of Ustaša songs in Zagreb before Marko Perković Thompson’s concert and asked why all Croatian defenders are not respected.
Jurčević responded harshly, calling Pupovac a “Yugocommunist brat” and accusing him of suspicion of war crimes. Pupovac replied by calling him a “profiteer scum” and rejected his accusations.
Speaker Jandroković had to give two warnings for insulting an MP. Jurčević continued with sharp words, claiming Pupovac is trying to “Ustašize Croatia” and that he is a “honest Serb, academic, and professor.”
Meanwhile, Bulj told Pupovac that “a Chetnik supports Chetnik Vučić,” while right-wing MPs accused the left of Yugonostalgia and love for communist totalitarianism, and the left responded with accusations of promoting Ustašism.
SDP’s Ivana Marković sarcastically asked if Jandroković should now be addressed as “Mr. Chief,” to which he responded by reminding of the red star and its dark symbols like Goli Otok and Bleiburg.
Damir Biloglav, who previously used the salute “Za dom spremni” in Parliament, stated that the salute has no Ustaša background but means readiness to defend the homeland in the Homeland War.
Pupovac warned that the increasing use of this salute in public space leads to the normalization of Ustašism, which is not a matter of an individual but society. He asked whether we will now rehabilitate Pavelić if Tuđman was a partisan and anti-fascist.
Conclusion? Today, the Croatian Parliament was an arena of verbal war revealing deep divisions in society. The salute “Za dom spremni” remains a burning issue that divides, and political tensions do not subside.
If you think this is just another political quarrel, think again. Here, identities, history, and Croatia’s future are at stake. What do you think? Is it time to finally resolve this issue, or will such debates haunt us for a long time? Drop a comment, let your voice be heard — or at least let’s have a laugh at this parliamentary drama!
Source: Index.hr
