Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Josip Dabro resigned early on January 18 following the release of a video showing him firing a pistol from a moving car. 

The footage, first published by the daily Jutarnji List, has sparked widespread criticism and placed the conservative government of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic under renewed scrutiny. 

Dabro is a leading member of the nationalist Homeland Movement, the junior coalition partner of Plenkovic’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

“I hereby submit my irrevocable resignation,” Dabro, 42, said early on the morning of January 18, according to Croatian media reports. “I am aware that these circumstances create an additional burden for the government and my party. My personal situation should not distract the government and the ministry from their priorities or delay necessary reforms.”

The video, reportedly filmed several years ago, shows Dabro in the passenger seat of a moving car, singing loudly and shooting a pistol into the night. The lights of what appears to be a nearby residential area are visible in the distance. Dabro claimed the weapon used blank rounds and expressed regret for his actions, calling it a “moment of thoughtlessness”. 

Plenkovic announced that state secretary Tugomir Majdak would temporarily lead the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries until a new minister is appointed. 

The State Attorney's Office is investigating whether Dabro committed a criminal offence.

Dabro quit before he was fired by Plenkovic. The government condemned Dabro’s behaviour as “inappropriate and irresponsible”, according to Croatian news agency Hina.  

The incident has drawn fresh criticism of Plenkovic’s coalition government, which has faced a string of scandals in recent months, including the dismissal of health minister Vili Beroš in November after his detention in a corruption case.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP), Croatia's main opposition, called for Dabro’s immediate resignation. “This is sufficient reason for him to step down,” SDP leader Sinisa Hajdas Doncic said.

The video surfaced shortly after the SDP’s candidate, incumbent President Zoran Milanovic, scored a resounding victory in the presidential election on January 12, defeating HDZ-backed independent Dragan Primorac. 

Dabro will remain in parliament and continue as secretary general of the Homeland Movement. The party's leader leader Ivan Penava defended Dabro in a press conference on January 18, describing the video as a “private matter” that was shared without Dabro’s consent. He appealed for the public to consider the impact of the controversy on Dabro’s family.

“Dabro grew up during the war in a region deeply affected by conflict, and that has its consequences,” Penava said in a statement published by Jutarni List. “While any brandishing of weapons is unacceptable, we must recognise the societal trauma carried by those who defended this country.”

The Homeland Movement, known for its nationalist and Eurosceptic stance, has been a partner in Plenkovic’s coalition government since May 2024. The party’s positions on issues such as immigration, abortion and LGBT rights have made it a controversial player in Croatian politics.