Croatia’s governing coalition is under scrutiny after a video surfaced showing Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Josip Dabro singing a song praising World War II-era fascist leader Ante Pavelić, reigniting debates over far-right sympathies in the country’s politics.
The controversy has placed the coalition led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) under strain, prompting Dario Hrebak, head of the small HSLS party, to threaten leaving the governing majority. Hrebak initially demanded a “reset” of the coalition within 30 days but has since softened his rhetoric, insisting he never issued an ultimatum to the prime minister.
“The governing majority is being tested, but there is no doubt on my part,” Hrebak told local media, adding that Dabro “could have simply said he was carried away or had a drink.”
Plenković, speaking from India where he attended an artificial intelligence summit, rejected the notion of accepting ultimatums from any coalition partner. He said he would consult with all parties upon his return to Zagreb.
The incident has drawn wider attention in Croatia and abroad due to its links to far-right imagery and historical revisionism. Analysts note that tensions between major and minor coalition partners over ideology and parliamentary protocol have exposed vulnerabilities in Croatia’s ruling alliance, which has been in power for over a decade.
The political crisis coincides with an upcoming vote in the Croatian Parliament on Alen Ružić, the proposed new Minister of Labor, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy, further testing the cohesion of the governing majority.
Former Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor also weighed in, saying the coalition disputes highlight a “divide between small liberal parties and others, even among longtime allies.”