Most MP Marin Miletić cuts open fence at Rijeka Hilton beach

Most MP Marin Miletić on Saturday again opened a metal gate blocking access to the beach below the Hilton Costabella Resort in Rijeka, arriving by boat with around 50 Most party members, the party said.

Using a grinder, Miletić cut through the gate and argued that the maritime domain belongs to all citizens, not only hotel companies and wealthy guests. He said he would continue reopening the passage until, as he put it, the state begins enforcing its own laws.

“I do not feel comfortable that, as a member of parliament, I have to come with a grinder and cut through fences. But people did not elect me to the Croatian Parliament to feel comfortable — they elected me to do my job,” Miletić said.

He added that when state institutions fail to act, he feels obligated to ensure citizens have access to the Croatian coast and beaches.

Miletić said the concession for the Hilton beach was granted in 2015 during the government of Prime Minister Zoran Milanović, under then-Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure Siniša Hajdaš Dončić.

According to Miletić, the concession decision allows fencing of the beach but does not permit charging visitors for access. He also referred to a 2023 statement from the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, which said concession holders cannot completely exclude citizens who are not hotel guests and that beaches must remain accessible to all users.

“They have turned our beach into Alcatraz, with high fences extending into the sea on both sides,” Miletić said.

“The rich and the elite can enjoy the Croatian sea, while ordinary people are forced to swim in shallow water. This is unacceptable. Access to the maritime domain must be free and available to everyone,” he added.

In March, Miletić filed a criminal complaint against those responsible at JTH Costabella, the company managing the Hilton resort, alleging illegal restrictions on access to the maritime domain and unlawful beach charges.

He has repeatedly cut the padlocks on the beach gates with an electric grinder and has said he will return to reopen the passage if it is closed again.

Miletić stressed that Most does not oppose tourism or investment, but opposes a model in which private companies are allowed to take control of areas that belong to the public.

“Most supports tourism that protects maritime assets, small renters, citizens, nature and the environment — not tourism where Croatian beaches become closed zones reserved for the privileged,” the party said in its statement.