The daily Blic devoted a full page to the Gurovic case in its Monday edition, saying that Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and new Education and Sport Minister Slobodan Vuksanovic had expressed their surprise at the decision.
Kostunica was quoted as saying that the decision "opens up problems in the field of sport, which otherwise should not be disputed," while Vuksanovic said: "Such a decision is senseless in democratic societies and democratic Europe which both Croatia and Serbia aspire to join. In Europe, everyone is allowed to wear icons of their own."
The newly-appointed minister found particularly illogical that Gurovic had been banned from entering Croatia because of the tattoo of General Draza Mihajlovic, "who as a historical figure has nothing to do with Croats and who can give rise to ideological controversy only among Serbs."
Vuksanovic said that the problem might be raised at meetings with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who is on an official visit to Belgrade today.
The strongest in its criticism was the BK television network, which called on the state leadership to take a stand on the Gurovic case, likening it to that of the Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Banat, Irinej, who had been barred from entering Macedonia in his priestly robes.
BK television also called on the Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Vuk Draskovic, "as a person who respects the Chetnik Movement of General Draza Mihajlovic, not to keep silent." This television station, however, failed to mention the Croatian law under which the ban was imposed.
In a statement to B92 television, Professor Zarko Korac, former deputy prime minister in the government of the assassinated prime minister Zoran Djindjic, supported the decision by the Croatian authorities.