2 0 0 9 ▁on ▁the ▁subject : ▁The ▁Š iben ik ▁port ▁in ▁the ▁commercial - c ult ural ▁ex changes ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁Adri atic ▁coast s ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Mark ov ina ▁def ended ▁his ▁doctor ' s ▁th esis ▁on ▁the ▁subject : ▁Dal mat ia ▁in ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁reform ▁projects ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Political ▁activ ism ▁When ▁it ▁comes ▁to ▁politics , ▁he ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁left - wing ▁intellectual . ▁He ▁gained ▁public ▁attention ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁when ▁he ▁started ▁a ▁pet ition ▁for ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁Fran jo ▁Tu đ man ' s ▁statue ▁in ▁Split . ▁He ▁later ▁announced ▁his ▁candid acy ▁for ▁the ▁council ▁assembly ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁Split ▁local ▁elections . ▁He ▁received ▁ 1 . 9 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁vote . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁guest ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁TV ▁talk ▁show , ▁Ned jel j om ▁u ▁ 2 , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁TV ▁talk ▁show ▁in ▁Cro atia ▁and ▁it ▁pushed ▁Mark ov ina ▁into ▁main stream ▁media . ▁About ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁he ▁was ▁informed ▁that ▁his ▁contract ▁with ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Split ▁was ▁not ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁renew ed ▁so ▁he ▁lost ▁his ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁university ▁professor . ▁He