Croatian magazine compares Vucic, Meloni, Orban to Hitler, draws condemnation

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Portraits of Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Hungary’s Viktor Orban sporting Hitler-style mustaches were featured on the cover of this week’s issue of Zagreb-based Express, drawing a fierce reaction from officials in Belgrade.

The headline on the cover of the magazine says: ACHTUNG Croatia Between Three Mini Fascisms – an analysis of the motives of leaders of anti-Croatian policies in neighboring states.

The cover page picture was condemned by Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic, Internal Affairs Minister Aleksandar Vulin and Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic.

Selakovic warned that Croatia has reason to fear its internal extremism as a country in which neo-Nazis did offensive things at the site of the WW 2 Jasenovac death camp and in which streets and squares have been named after Ustashi (WW 2 Croatian fascists) and which feeds on xenophobia and fear of its neighbors.

Vulin said that only Croatians can compare the grandson of a victim of the Ustashi (Vucic) with Hitler. “An insult in Serbia, the country of Hitler’s opponents, can be a compliment in Croatia, the country of Hitler’s most loyal allies,” he said.

Express ZagrebMihalovic said the magazine cover is part of a continuing media campaign against Serbia and Vucic and added that she expects the Croatian authorities to condemn Novi Express. “Comparing Serbia and President Vucic with fascism is shameful.