Karlovac Mayor Damir Mandić has stated that he supports the opposition’s proposal to hold a referendum on his recall. In a Facebook post, he addressed a press conference called by the opposition following the removal of around 40 plane trees from Ban Jelačić Square, KAportal reports.
"Recall? I support it! After nine years in office, I would also like to assess what has been achieved in Karlovac during that time. Who worked responsibly, with vision, in the interests of citizens and respecting expertise, and who lacked ideas and knowledge," Mandić wrote in a post titled "Možemo marches with lies and manipulations as they only know how to do."
In response to accusations that he was responsible for the arrest of two activists who tried to stop the felling, the mayor said that, according to the information available to him, the contractor had called the police. "Neither I nor anyone from the city administration was involved in the actions of the contractor or the police," he asserted.
He added that, following citizens' requests, he had ordered a halt to the works to re-examine the procedural, urban planning, and technical details of the square’s development project, stating this was done "not for us in the administration, but for the citizens."
Mandić also fired a series of questions back at the opposition. He asked why only 2,000 signatures had been submitted to the city administration if the public figure cited was 4,000; why councillor Adamec had not explained his vote in favour of the square development project at the Karlovac City Council meeting on 3 July 2025, which Mandić claims the entire opposition also supported; and why the Možemo councillor on the Zvijezda Committee had abstained despite having signed the petition.
The removal of plane trees from the central Karlovac square has sparked protests, the arrest of two women, and opposition announcements that they are considering initiating recall proceedings against the mayor.
