With a deep sense of responsibility toward the public, the island, and the City of Rab, and toward the values I have strived to live by and represent throughout my entire life, I am returning the title of honorary citizen of the City of Rab. I do not make this decision lightly. My relationship with Rab is stronger for me than any public recognition can express, and precisely for that reason, I believe that silence at this moment would be unworthy of both me and the city I love," she wrote, as reported by Jutarnji list.
She further stated that the decision to proclaim Thompson an honorary citizen of the City of Rab opens a deep question of values and morality for her.
"I cannot agree to have my name and the recognition I received placed within the same symbolic framework as a decision that, in my deep conviction, does not represent what I consider worthy of the title of honorary citizen of the City of Rab—a title shared by Dragutin Tadijanović, Slobodan Novak, Ljubo Stipišić, Andrija Kaštelan, and others. I, namely, received the recognition for efforts to stimulate the intensification of cultural life: by bringing world artists to the city, organizing concerts by important Croatian orchestras not found on other islands, launching heritage preservation actions, and other initiatives," she continued.
She added that her long-standing efforts aimed at the development and prosperity of Rab, for which she received this recognition, are in contrast with the reasons for awarding the recognition to this year's laureate, i.e., the motivations that led to the selection of Thompson—a narrowly understood nationality under the name of patriotism.
"For me, patriotism has never been a matter of slogans, exclusivity, or ideological demonstration. Patriotism is first and foremost an ethical category: love for the country expressed through care for its culture, for the dignity of every person, regardless of national affiliation, for historical responsibility, and for the values of humanism. Here, I cannot remain silent. With the gesture of returning the title, I wish to raise my voice and rather be an ordinary citizen—or even just a guest of this city and island. The responsibility I assumed by accepting this recognition demands moral consistency, which I have strived and continue to strive to live by as much as I can. It is precisely out of that consistency that I return this title," she wrote.
She conveyed that this act is not an act of rejecting Rab, but quite the opposite. It is an act of respect and love for both the city and the island, to which she remains deeply attached, for its people, and for the idea of Croatia she wishes to love and create: open, cultured, dignified, and morally responsible.
"Rab remains a part of my heart. I return the title, but the connection with the island, its beauty, and its people remains permanent," she concluded.