Karleusa Denies Ever Calling Croats Fascists
The singer responded on TikTok and X, the mayor of Vodice has scheduled a meeting with the concert organizers, and Croatia's veterans ministry says it has received no formal complaint.
Jelena Karleusa has responded to the backlash over her scheduled concert in Vodice, first with a video message on TikTok on August 9, then with a post on X a day later. The trigger was the reaction from part of the Croatian public to her booking at a club in the town, set for the night between August 15 and 16.
The singer says an organized campaign is being run against her and that clips of her statements circulating online have been manipulated.
“On social media I’m noticing organized targeting through bots, appeals to various groups and institutions, as well as the sharing of doctored and inaccurate recordings of my statements. They’ve been edited to change their original context and create the impression that I speak against an entire people,” Karleusa said in the video message.
In the same message, she said all of her past statements referred to political circles, not to the Croatian people. As proof of her attitude toward Croatia, she pointed to her song “Balkan Boy,” in which, she says, she mentioned the country in the most flattering way possible.
What she wrote on X
The post on X came on August 10, under a tweet about a petition calling for her to be permanently banned from entering Croatia. The tone was sharper than in the video message.
“I have never in my life called Croats fascists and Ustashas, nor does any proof of that exist.”
“All of this is the product of a sick imagination, coming from people who love to stir up hatred.”
She added that a travel ban would also hurt Croatian singers who perform in Serbia.
Mayor sets a Monday meeting
Vodice mayor Ante Cukrov had earlier said the singer was not welcome in the town, while noting that the city administration has no say over a private club’s lineup. We reported on that earlier assessment last week.
Cukrov has scheduled a meeting with the concert organizers for Monday, August 10. That meeting is the only point where pressure from social media could actually turn into a concrete decision, since everything else so far has stayed at the level of statements. The club has not changed its program.
Veterans’ associations from Vodice have also spoken out against the concert. Their objection concerns the date, since August 15 falls on Velika Gospa, the Catholic feast of the Assumption.
Does the show actually fall on the holiday
Technically, no. The club has explained that its doors open at 11 PM, while Karleusa does not take the stage until after midnight, meaning August 16, once the holiday has passed.
That explanation has not calmed the reaction. Part of the Croatian public went a step further and launched a petition demanding she be permanently barred from entering the country, and the case also made it onto the evening news on Croatia’s Nova TV.
Ministry: not a single formal complaint
Darko Nekic, state secretary at Croatia’s Ministry of Croatian War Veterans and an envoy of the prime minister, also spoke in that segment.
“As far as I know, so far I haven’t had any information that anyone has officially complained to us.”
Asked whether he thought it was appropriate for the singer to perform on that date, he said:
“Personally, I don’t think it is, but I’ll say, I don’t know the full context around this appearance of hers.”
The gap is clear at this point. The ministry has no paperwork on the matter, while the argument plays out on social media and in local politics.
What happens before August 15
In her video message, Karleusa appealed to organizers and local authorities not to give in to pressure from a handful of people. She said one canceled show would change nothing for her financially, but that she felt sorry for the audience, since, she claims, Croatian fans have booked out practically the entire club.
The singer has performed in Croatia for years without this kind of backlash, and that is what sets this case apart from earlier ones. The controversy was never about the booking itself, but about the date and about her older statements, which have resurfaced in a version she says was doctored.
Five days remain before the show. The decision still rests with the organizer, since the club is private and, according to Cukrov, the city does not control its program.
