Croatia’s deputy PM resigns over footage of him shooting from car

Croatia’s deputy prime minister has resigned after footage surfaced of him shooting at random from a moving car.

In the video, Josip Dabro can be seen in the passenger seat chatting, laughing and singing along to loud music, before picking up a pistol and shooting through an open window into the dark.

Dabro, who represents hard-right nationalist party Homeland Movement, said the video was several years old and that he fired training bullets.

It is the latest incident to trouble Croatia’s coalition – formed in May 2024 – with the government calling Dabro’s behaviour “inappropriate and irresponsible”.

In a resignation statement posted on Facebook, Dabro, who was also minister for agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said that he did not want to be a distraction to the government.

He said he had been subjected to “significant pressure and threats” over plans to reform the department.

The footage was made public earlier in the week.

Dabro’s party is in a coalition government with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party.

Last November, Health Minister Vili Bros was sacked ahead of a corruption investigation.

On Monday, Zoran Milanovic was re-elected president for a second term, winning almost three-quarters of votes cast ahead of opponent Dragan Primorac, who was backed by the HDZ party.

After the result, Plenkovic said that “Milanovic offers nothing” and declined to congratulate him. Presidents in Croatia fulfil a largely ceremonial role.