Pula Councilor Launches Mayor Recall Initiative

An independent city councilor in Pula, Croatia, has initiated a recall referendum against Mayor Peđa Grbin, accusing him of autocratic governance and prioritizing private capital over the city's residents. Koviljka Aškić announced her intention to gather support for the mayor's ouster, citing a pattern of decisions that she claims undermine social democracy and disregard public interest.

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Social democracy has been killed by the mayor's actions, which govern in favor of individuals instead of managing this city for the benefit of Pula's residents.

Aškić's primary grievance centers on Grbin's alleged forceful advancement of three urban development plans, UPU Lučica Delfin, UPU Lungomare, and UPU Max Stoja, during the peak tourist season and without adequate public consultation. She contends that these plans serve the interests of specific investors rather than the citizens of Pula, leading to potential large-scale construction that will further inflate housing prices beyond the reach of locals. Aškić also pointed to empty residential areas during winter months, suggesting that property speculation and potential money laundering are exacerbated by current policies.

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This is not democracy. This is a cowardly attempt to push through key decisions about the coast while people are on the beaches or working.

Furthermore, Aškić criticized Grbin's conduct during city council meetings, describing his responses to the opposition as autocratic and time-consuming. She also highlighted changes to the city's statutes, which she believes have removed the emphasis on expertise, knowledge, and experience in appointments to city institutions and companies. Aškić expressed her readiness to contribute her insights to foster new leadership and momentum for Pula.

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As soon as he took power, expertise, knowledge, and experience were erased from the Statute. He also makes autocratic decisions when appointing candidates for management boards of city institutions and companies, where expertise and work experience are no longer important.

Anticipating backlash, Aškić labeled Grbin a "spin master" and expects him to employ manipulative tactics against her recall initiative. This move follows a recent departure of another independent councilor, Lorena Boljunčić, from the ruling coalition, who also cited a lack of development vision from the mayor. The growing dissent suggests significant political challenges for Grbin's administration.

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I expect attacks and spins from the mayor, whom I have called a 'spin master'.