The Mayor of Sinj explained his decision on Facebook, calling out the Government for closing the maternity ward and poisoning Lika. His empty seat in the official box drew comments and laughter.
While the 311th Sinjska Alka filled the alkar racetrack to the last seat on Saturday, August 9, 2026, one seat in the ceremonial grandstand remained conspicuously empty. The chair between County Prefect Blaženko Boban and the President of the Viteško alkarsko društvo, Stipe Jukić, reserved for the Mayor of Sinj, Miro Bulj, sat vacant throughout the entire ceremony.
Bulj had announced his absence earlier, and after not showing up, he further explained his decision on Facebook. In a post he began with the words "ALKA TO THE PEOPLE," he stated that the people of Sinj, in his words, "have pride and backbone." The main reason for the boycott, as he noted, lies in the Government's treatment of his city.
In his post, the Mayor directly called out the Government of the Republic of Croatia, criticizing it for closing the Sinj maternity ward. "The Government of the Republic of Croatia shut down the Sinj maternity ward, directly striking at the Alka and our tradition, and today they pose with the Alkars," Bulj wrote. He added that he believes the Government has not done enough for the General Hospital, health services, and better transport connections for Sinj. In his Facebook post, he also claimed that he faults the Government for the lack of concrete action on these issues.
Beyond local issues, Bulj also cited a broader environmental problem as a reason for his action, calling the poisoning of Lika with hazardous waste "pure high treason." "That is why I made the decision that, because of all this, and because of the poisoning of Lika with hazardous waste, which is pure high treason, I will not, for the first time, sit with Government representatives in the ceremonial grandstand!" he stated.
Bulj's absence did not go unnoticed in the ceremonial grandstand, where among the guests were the Alka's patron, President Zoran Milanović, and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Interestingly, the President and the Prime Minister did not sit next to each other – between them were seated the President of the Croatian National Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Čović, and the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandroković, with his wife. In his welcoming speech, Duke Mario Šušnjara directly greeted the absent mayor with the words: "Greetings to Miro Bulj, wherever he may be." This statement drew reactions and laughter both from the stands and from within the ceremonial grandstand itself.
In his post, Bulj emphasized that his absence was not merely a personal insult but a message about the city's dignity. "And as the elected mayor, they completely ignore me, which doesn't matter to me, but they show that they only respect those who bow to them," he wrote. He concluded his post with the words: "Sinj is not a stage for your political appearances but a city that defended our faith, tradition, nation, and culture, but also a city with a stance. Proud Gospin Sinj."
