Croatian Parliament to Vote on MP Dabro’s Immunity

The news in Croatian

1. odbor (m.)
   skupina ljudi koji donose odluke u određenim pitanjima ↩︎
2. ukidanje (n.)
   čin prestanka nečega, kao što je zakon ili pravilo ↩︎
3. imunitet (m.)
   zaštita od kaznenog progona ili tjelesne bolesti ↩︎
4. optužiti
   staviti nekome krivnju za kazneno djelo ↩︎
5. ugrožavanje (n.)
   čin stavljanja nečega ili nekoga u opasnost ↩︎
6. posjedovanje (n.)
   čin ili stanje posjedovanja nečega ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: What has Josip Dabro been accused of?

Question: Why is the upcoming vote in the Croatian Parliament drawing attention?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
odbor (m.)	committee
ukidanje (n.)	abolition
imunitet (m.)	immunity
optužiti	accuse
ugrožavanje (n.)	endangerment
posjedovanje (n.)	possession

Read the full story

The charges surrounding Dabro involve serious allegations of endangering child safety by allowing his minor son to handle firearms and explosive devices akin to grenades. Additional allegations concern the illegal possession of a military-grade automatic rifle.

Ivica Mesić, a fellow DP member, was the sole committee member to vote against the decision to potentially detain Dabro, describing the situation as a politically motivated persecution. He argued that the allegations, some stemming from events that happened years ago, do not justify arrest or pre-trial imprisonment. Mesić emphasised the existence of parliamentary immunity to protect against politically driven legal action.

While the committee’s decision progresses to a full parliamentary vote on Wednesday, DP leader Ivan Penava has expressed firm opposition, characterising the situation as a “political circus” aimed at exerting pressure on Dabro and affecting the DP’s critical position in the ruling coalition, which currently holds 76 seats, the minimum for a parliamentary majority. Without Dabro, the coalition risks losing its majority.

Despite the accusations, Dabro has strongly denied possessing or providing grenades, insisting he has never handled such explosives. His defence team argues that all needed investigative steps have long been completed, and that the case against Dabro lacks sufficient grounds for detention.

Meanwhile, the government, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, stressed that the matter strictly falls within the purview of the judicial authorities. Plenković reiterated the importance of accountability while distancing the ruling party from the legal proceedings involving Dabro.

Political analysts continue to watch closely as the potential fallout from Dabro’s situation could force strategic adjustments within the governing coalition, with discussions of potential replacements or shifts in support already underway.

This vote and subsequent events will serve as a test of parliamentary processes and political alliances in Croatia, as stakeholders await the parliamentary vote and possible legal outcomes for Dabro.

Info: ‘Croatian Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Croatian’, a language school dedicated to providing comprehensive Croatian lessons. We offer a variety of online courses designed to cater to different levels of proficiency.