ZAGREB, 9 May 2022 - Istria County head Boris Miletić on Monday laid wreaths on the occasion of the Day of Victory over Fascism, expressing regret that the historically important observance was taking place at a time when yet another war was raging in Europe and Europe was witnessing destruction and human suffering.

"Istria can set an example to the entire world of how to love what is yours, care about your own identity and values without belittling others'. We opted for antifascism, respect for human and minority rights, and for multiculturalism here a long time ago," Miletić said in Pula after laying a wreath at a memorial for the fallen Istria antifascist fighters and victims of fascism.

Even now, in the 21st century, women's rights and freedoms are being brought into question, the strong are oppressing the weak, and arms are being taken up, which is why everyone "should speak up even more loudly about injustice and stand for peace and the freedoms won," Miletić said, noting that today's anniversary provided an opportunity to recall the horrors of WWII and the 1991-95 Homeland War and their long-lasting negative and painful consequences.

On the occasion of Europe Day, Pula's Valli cinema will show "Donbass", a drama film by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, which won the Un Certain Regard award for Best Director at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Silver Pyramid at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival.

Proceeds from the admission fee will be donated to the Red Cross Pula for assistance to displaced persons from Ukraine who have found refuge in Croatia.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 5 Feb 2022 - The former leader of the Istria Democratic Party (IDS) and current Istria County prefect, Boris Miletić, issued a statement after his resignation from the party on Saturday, saying that the IDS had for years been "a symbol of progressive and liberal policies, a symbol of resistance to primitivism."

"We have built a progressive community in a country that does not have much to boast about. Unfortunately, the IDS is now taking a different direction, and obviously I have been recognised by the new leadership as the biggest obstacle to this political turnaround," Miletić said.

He said that no one had raised any of the reasons he was now being disciplined for at the party's extraordinary meeting last September when his report was adopted with one abstention.

"When I took political responsibility for the election results and when we were supposed to discuss it, no one said a word, like many times before that," Miletić said, noting that while he had served as IDS president all decisions had been adopted by the party presidency and not in an autocratic manner as claimed by the new leadership.

He said that today he had tendered his resignation from the IDS after four victories in local elections, three terms in the national parliament, after winning seats in the European Parliament in two elections and after nearly eight years at the helm of the IDS which throughout that time was the strongest Croatian regional party. 

Miletić said that with his resignation, after 29 years and for the first time since counties were established "the IDS has lost Istria County." "The new IDS president now has a chance to show freely what he knows and what he can do."

Meanwhile, Pula mayor Filip Zoričić demanded an early election in Istria County, calling on the IDS and Miletić "not to hold Istria as their hostage".

He said that as the mayor of the largest city in Istria he wanted the regional government to be stable and functioning regardless of which political group had a majority.

 For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 5 Feb 2022 - The presidency of the Istria Democratic Party (IDS) has launched disciplinary action against its former leader, Istria County Prefect Boris Miletić, for violating the party's code of ethics and statute.

In a statement from its meeting in Pula on Friday night, the new IDS leadership said that Miletić had taken some decisions "in an autocratic manner, without dialogue and without the knowledge and consent of the party's governing bodies."

The presidency discussed Miletić's responsibility for the result of the May 2021 local election, in which the IDS lost the confidence of a portion of its voters. It said that "no individual, no matter how deserving they may be, can come before the interests of Istrians and the IDS."

Miletić later said that he regretted s to see what was going on in his own party. "I am proud of everything that we have done in all these years and I will always be," he said and added: " I will never give in under pressure from individuals and different interests to the detriment of Istrians."

"The next move is mine," Miletić said.. 

Unofficially, 15 members of the IDS presidency voted in favour of disciplinary action and one abstained from the vote.