In the video Josip Dabro sits in the passenger seat of a car and fires shots in the dark, in an area that appears to be inhabited. He claimed that they were blank cartridges and that the video had been filmed a few years ago.
Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Josip Dabro, part of a right-wing nationalist party, resigned on Saturday after the broadcast in the media of a video showing him shooting blindly with a pistol from a car moving. “I hereby present an irrevocable resignation”wrote on his Facebook page Josip Dabro, 42, who also served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the government of Andrej Plenkovic.
This is a new affair which shakes up the cabinet of Andrej Plenkovic (HDZ, conservatives), who has led all governments since 2016. Minister of Health Vili Bros was dismissed in November because of a corruption investigation in which he is one of the suspects.
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In the video broadcast by the daily Morning paper we see Josip Dabro sitting in the passenger seat of a moving train car firing shots in the dark, dotted with lights in the distance, what appears to be a populated area. Loud music is heard and Josip Dabro is seen singing, putting the gun in the glove compartment and turning to the camera to greet his “Brother Mario”.
-“Private nature” of the video
“I am aware that these circumstances create an additional burden for the government and for my party (…) I find that my personal situation should not distract the attention of the government and the ministry from their priorities, nor slow down necessary reforms »wrote Josip Dabro. He adds that he was determined to carry out “changes” within his ministry, for more “transparency”and having been exposed to “significant pressures and threats”.
The HDZ formed in May 2024, following the legislative elections, a coalition government with the Patriotic Movement (DP) – of which Josip Dabro is one of the leaders -, a formation which stands out for its nationalist, anti-immigration discourse, anti-LGBT, and who advocates the ban on abortion. Party leader and mayor of Vukovar (east), Ivan Penava, announced that Josip Dabro would return to his seat in Parliament and that another DP candidate would be proposed to replace him in the government, ensuring that the coalition remained «stable».
“(The video) was of a private nature and was sent to people whom Josip Dabro considered to be his friends. Above all, it was not intended for a wider audience.declared Ivan Penava at a press conference, adding that the resigning minister “did not at any time endanger the lives of others”. Late Friday evening, Josip Dabro apologized, saying that they were blank cartridges and that the video had been filmed a few years ago, according to the Hina agency.
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