All round anniversaries are especially difficult.
This is how this commemoration of the "Storm" 30 years later will bring forth and bring to the surface all the bad things in neighborly relations. Of Serbia i Croatia.
How is it "Storm" is a way of living together between Serbs and Croats forever ended, three decades later the scabs on the scars were ripped open again.
It seems that Croatian President Zoran Milanović scratched them with the Zagreb parade, with his statement back in January 2025.
"As the President of the Republic and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, I believe that we have a duty to mark the 30th anniversary of the biggest and most important victory of the Croatian Army in the Homeland War in a unique, magnificent and victorious way," said Milanović and announced the ceremonial parade of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, which will take place on August 31 in Zagreb.
He added that "there is no national holiday that can be more strongly, emotionally and truly associated with the victory and glory of the Croatian Army", so it is time to show all its strength and equipment in the capital of Croatia.
For these needs, the procurement of a special American missile system was contracted, but it will not arrive in time from the USA. However, Milanović will not take a ride in an open vehicle, as the then president of Croatia, Franjo Tuđman, did in 1995, and then in 2015, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović did.
What is celebrated and what is not to be celebrated
On August 5, Croatia celebrates the Day of Victory and Homeland Gratitude as a national holiday, as well as the Day of Croatian Veterans, on the day when Knin fell in 1995, that is, the Croatian army entered this city and occupied it. That was also the end of the Republic of Serbian Krajina.
During and immediately after the Croatian military-police operation "Storm", 2.353 people were killed, most of whom were Serbs and civilians, the Croatian non-governmental organization "Dokumenta" announced before this anniversary.
Research coordinator Nikola Mokrović said that most of the victims were between the ages of 36 and 64, and that for several hundred more people, it was not precisely determined whether they died because of the "Storm" or under other circumstances.
The research, however, did not include the number of exiles. According to Croatian sources, before the "Storm", about 130.000 Serbs left Croatia in convoys, and according to Serbian sources, between 200.000 and 300.000 people were exiled.
Thompson and the ramps
One is patriotism, and the other is strong nationalism that is mixed with pro-fascist ideas.
That's right news about half a million people at the Thompson concert in the middle of Zagreb, in the year since the expulsion and suffering of the Serbs, shocked many in the Balkans. Mainly because it turned out that this singer, who has been glorifying the Ustasha for decades, came en masse to yes young Croatians are listening.
After this megalomaniacal gathering, Croatian nationalists again set out to "cleanse" the country of Serbs - this time from Bajaga and Lepa Brena. The reason is some of their concerts from three and a half decades ago, which they consider as support for the then Serbian army in the war. For Lepa Brena, the patriots said that she "publicly performed in the uniform of the Serbian terrorist armed forces that burned, looted, persecuted and occupied towns and cities, shelled Županja, Slavonski Brod and other border towns in Croatia", and in connection with Bajag they mentioned the performance in Knin.
The concerts were cancelled, although even the Croatian local self-government said that they believe that the information and views are not based on relevant facts.
Weapon rattling, but locked
Serbia, on the other hand, told its citizens to bypass Croatia from August 1 to 10.
The "Storm" is commemorated in Serbia every year, but with a completely different narrative - as a day of great suffering and exodus of Serbs.
"We will mark it on August 3, if I'm not mistaken," said Aleksandar Vučić. "It is thirty years, we will invite people to be present. It is time to show respect for our victims - for the 2.500 people killed, but also for more than 250.000 almost forever or forever driven from their hearths."
Vučić commented that there will be something to see at the Croatian military parade, because Croatia is one of the most powerful armies in this region. However, he added that Serbia is also preparing for its military parade, which will be held in September.
