The scandalous Palma (65) died: Bandić’s friend bought a giraffe, wanted Chopin to play in Jagodina

Dragan Markovicć Palm tree he died at the age of 65 after a short illness, Kurir writes. The peculiar former mayor of Jagodina and president of the assembly of that city became memorable to the Croatian public when he was warmly hosted by the late Zagreb mayor Milan Bandi in 2018.

Photo: Matija Habljak/Pixsell

Palma arrived in Zagreb at Bandić’s invitation, and the topic of the meeting was cooperation between Zagreb and Jagodina and Croatia and Serbia. Bandić stated after the meeting that the two neighboring countries must cooperate because they are in a similar situation.

– When I go to Belgrade, I will visit Šumadija. When we talk about Šumadija, it is like our Slavonia. They are in a similar difficult economic situation – said Bandi.

But the mayor of Zagreb seems to have forgotten what Palma’s associate Arkan did in Slavonia during the war, especially in Erdut and Dalje. On Friday, when asked by journalists, Palma did not want to talk about the war or the claims that he financed Arkan during the war.

– I had nothing to do with the war in Croatia. I did not finance Arkan, as some claim. I was not in the military, and I entered politics only in 1995, after the war – said Palma, who entered politics by founding a party with Arkan, adding that he wanted to turn to the future.

Zagreb: Gradonačelnik Bandić received the President of the Assembly of the City of Jagodina |

Photo: Matija Habljak/PIXSELL – ILLUSTRATION

In addition to calling Oluja genocide, Palma once collaborated closely with Zcarongeljka Razcaronatovi Arkan, the leader of ethnic and paramilitary units, with whom he founded the Serbian Unity Party in 1993.

In an interview, he boasted that there is no serious male or female singer in Serbia who has not sung in front of him. Beethoven and Chopin would also sing to him, but they, he says, were popular when he was still small.

He is known for his ridiculous moves, such as the opening of public Polish toilets in the arable land around Jagodina, but also for the purchase of žirafa.