by Matej Hittner, former President of CEA
Over the past months, Croatia has witnessed several deeply troubling acts of
hooliganic chauvinism directed at Serbia and Montenegro and at Serbs as an ethnic
community. These are not isolated provocations nor the traditional stadium-level
nationalism familiar to the region. The tone, organisation and targets of recent
incidents are a form of deliberate intimidation and interference with Croatia’s
international standing and rule of law.
In Zagreb, a cultural activity was deliberately poisoned by organised groups whose
sole intention was to intimidate. In Split, masked individuals forcibly entered a private
cultural programme organised by the Serbian community, disrupted the event and
effectively shut it down. It was a targeted intrusion into the rights of a recognised
minority, executed by individuals concealing their identities and relying on force over
democratic process. Such actions constitute a direct attack on constitutional
freedoms and the efforts of Croatia in terms of foreign relationships. Anyone who
believes the Serb organised events violate legal or ethical norms has clear
institutional avenues to pursue as disagreements should be addressed through
transparent civic mechanisms, public statements, legal demonstrations and
accountable speakers, and NOT through masked entry, coercion, or disruption.
Croatian „nationalists“ if they are open about their views should make press
staements and put themselves in a position of transparency and accountability and
pursue political legitimacy.
The behaviour of Croatian football supporters in Montenegro carries an even heavier
cost. Montenegro is a NATO ally, a neighbour with whom Croatia is working to
stabilise and advance the region, and a state moving toward EU membership.
Actions that undermine this relationship, that publicly humiliate an allied nation, or
that weaponise ethnic hostility on foreign soil do not merely embarrass Croatia; they
weaken Croatia’s strategic position, damage its credibility, and create openings for
hostile actors to benefit. The damage caused by such incidents is not borne by the
hooligans; it is borne by Croatia at large, its partnerships, and its reputation.
Taken together, these incidents resemble classic destabilisation patterns seen in the
1990s, including the operational logic of schemes like Operation Labrador. The
purpose of these operations was to stage incidents by planting explosives and
vandalizing Jewish and other minority landmarks in order to undermine Croatia’s
foreign policy, portray it as extremist, and damage its credibility abroad. In 2025, with
Europe facing hybrid threats and aggressive disinformation campaigns, it would be
naive to assume that similar interests have vanished. To dismiss the possibility that
some of these events are being encouraged, amplified, or exploited by foreign
services would be professionally irresponsible. Croatia has already experienced
Russian information operations, provocations, and destabilisation attempts and
pretending this environment does not exist helps only those who wish to harm us.
At the same time, the rise of nihilistic violent extremism in the West must be taken
seriously. Not every actor in these incidents is driven by ideology; many are driven
by the thrill of chaos, group identity, and the erosion of social restraints. This form of
extremism, leaderless and impulsive, is highly susceptible to manipulation and is
precisely the kind of population foreign actors seek to weaponise. When masked
groups defy civic norms we are no longer dealing with normalised “fan incidents” but
with a volatile and accelerating security problem.
No bilateral dispute, minority issue, or domestic frustration justifies street-level
vigilantism. Croatia is a member of the European Union and NATO, not a breeding
pit for gangs and masked mobs or useful idiots of foreign intelligence. Any attempt to
address social or political grievances through intimidation must be firmly rejected,
investigated, and prosecuted.
Croatia must uphold its own constitution and defend its regional and international
credibility. The recent incidents threaten all three and demand a decisive institutional
response, vigilant scrutiny of potential foreign influence, and zero tolerance for
chauvinistic violence masquerading as patriotism.
The Republic of Croatia and the Centre for Public Policy and Economic Analysis
strongly condemn all forms of masked street activism against the law and order and call for excellent relations with our neighbour and up-and-coming EU ally, Montenegro, and with all pro-Western forces in the Balkans.
