Tonino Picula, the idol and key figure for the opposition-led protests in Serbia, has sparked outrage online after a post on X in which he marked the anniversary of Croatia’s declaration of sovereignty—a date many Serbs associate with the beginning of mass crimes and ethnic cleansing during the Yugoslav wars.
“On this day, the Croatian Parliament made a historic decision on the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Croatia, founded on the will of its citizens expressed in the referendum. It happened under extremely complex and threatening circumstances. Unfortunately, even 34 years later, in an environment of new wars and unrest in the EU and its neighborhood, we must once again strongly defend democracy and the freedom of choice for every citizen and every state. The generations currently responsible for Croatia must prove that through economic prosperity and by strengthening social and all other forms of security,” Picula stated.
His remarks have been met with heavy criticism in Serbia, where the day is remembered as the starting point of violence that led to the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Serbs from Croatia. Many online users accused Picula of glorifying a tragic period in Balkan history while ignoring the suffering and displacement of the Serbian population.
Na današnji dan Hrvatski sabor donio je povijesnu odluku o suverenosti i samostalnosti Republike Hrvatske utemeljenu na volji građana izraženoj na referendumu. U iznimno složenim i prijetećim okolnostima.
Nažalost i 34 godine kasnije, u ambijentu novih ratova i nemira, u EU i… pic.twitter.com/kJxsJWO0i6
— Tonino Picula (@TPicula) June 25, 2025
