Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Josip Dabro resigned on Saturday after a video of him shooting a gun out of a moving car surfaced in local media.
Dabro, who also was agriculture minister, on Friday confirmed the authenticity of the recording and apologized for his actions, which he said were “the result of a moment of thoughtlessness.”
He claimed that the recording had been made several years prior, before he held any position in the government, and that it was a political attack by a former friend-turned-rival to whom he had sent the video.
He also argued that the weapon was loaded with blanks and legally registered, and that “at no time did I endanger anyone’s safety or property.”
A few hours later Dabro announced his resignation “for moral reasons” in a Facebook post.
“Although I am ready to continue my fight for the betterment of the sector I have led, I am aware that the circumstances I find myself create an additional burden for both government and my party,” he wrote.
“As a responsible man and public official, I believe that my personal situation must not distract attention from the key priorities of the government and the sector,” he said.
The office of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković confirmed that Dabro had been asked to resign on Friday night and would be dismissed from his duties on Saturday.
