In a significant political turn, Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister Josip Dabro resigns following the emergence of a video depicting him firing a gun recklessly while in a moving car.
Croatian Deputy PM Resigns Following Gun-Firing Scandal
Croatian Deputy PM Resigns Following Gun-Firing Scandal
Josip Dabro steps down after footage shows him irresponsibly shooting from a moving vehicle.
In the footage that recently surfaced, Josip Dabro, the deputy prime minister of Croatia, was seen laughing and singing along with music while sitting in a moving vehicle before he picked up a pistol and shot out the window into the dark. Representing the hard-right nationalist party Homeland Movement, Dabro claimed that the video was old and that he was using training bullets. This controversy adds to the growing list of troubles facing Croatia's coalition government, formed in May 2024. Authorities described Dabro's actions as "inappropriate and irresponsible."
In a resignation statement shared via Facebook, Dabro, who also held the ministerial portfolio for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, expressed his desire not to distract the government amid ongoing reforms in his department, which he reported had drawn significant pressure and threats. The incident has resonated with the public as the coalition government, which includes Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, faces scrutiny.
Additionally, the political landscape in Croatia has been further complicated following Health Minister Vili Bros' dismissal last November amid corruption investigations. On a concurrent note, Zoran Milanovic secured re-election for a second presidential term, gathering nearly three-quarters of the votes against HDZ's candidate Dragan Primorac. Despite the political shift, Plenkovic remarked after the election that Milanovic "offers nothing," reflecting the tensions that persist within Croatian politics.
In a resignation statement shared via Facebook, Dabro, who also held the ministerial portfolio for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, expressed his desire not to distract the government amid ongoing reforms in his department, which he reported had drawn significant pressure and threats. The incident has resonated with the public as the coalition government, which includes Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, faces scrutiny.
Additionally, the political landscape in Croatia has been further complicated following Health Minister Vili Bros' dismissal last November amid corruption investigations. On a concurrent note, Zoran Milanovic secured re-election for a second presidential term, gathering nearly three-quarters of the votes against HDZ's candidate Dragan Primorac. Despite the political shift, Plenkovic remarked after the election that Milanovic "offers nothing," reflecting the tensions that persist within Croatian politics.
