Joseph Dabro Biography and political career

Josip Dabro is a Croatian politician born on January 5, 1983 in Belgrade (Serbia). He received his education as a kinesiologist – in 2012 he completed a professional study for coach training at the Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb, and in 2019 he received a master’s degree in kinesiology at the Faculty of Education of the University of Travnik. He gained long-term sports activities and recognition in kick-boxing: he was an amateur and professional athlete, president of the kickboxing club Oedema, member of the professional staff of the Croatian kick-boxing team and the Croatian Kickboxing Association.

Having completed his education in kinesiology, Dabro was active in kickboxing for decades. As the president of the Kik-box club Otok and coach, he gained a reputation as an organizer and coach, which opened up opportunities for him in the local community. His communication skills, which he later transferred to political professions, is connected with working in sports.

political career

Over time, Dabro built a political career primarily in Slavonia. He is a long-time member of the HDZ (1999–2021), whom he abandoned, claiming that he did not agree with the party’s vision. His position was highlighted Deputy prefect Vukovar-Srijem County from 2017 to 2021 from 2020 led Foundation of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna, and since 2021 he has also been working as an assistant sales manager at Filir d.o.o.

After leaving the HDZ, as an independent candidate with the support of the Homeland Movement and other parties, he ran for the prefect of Vukovar-Srijem County in 2021. Although he lost, he remained significant in the new party. Since 2023, he has taken over the position of Secretary General of the Homeland Movement. At the parliamentary level, from May 2024, he was elected to the Croatian Parliament as a member of the DP.

2017–2021: Deputy Prefect of Vukovar-Srijem County.
2020–today: manager of the Foundation of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna.
2021–today: Member of the County Assembly of Vukovar-Srijem County.
2021–2023: Assistant to the sales manager at FILIR d.o.o..
2023–today: Secretary General of the Homeland Movement.
2024–2025: Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.
2024–today: Representative in the Croatian Parliament.

In May 2024, Dabro was appointed Minister of Agriculture in the Government of Croatia. This has caused additional media attention due to his earlier contributions in the home and local politics. During the month of his mandate, he worked intensively on issues of rural development and agriculture, although his mandate was short. As Minister of Agriculture, he stayed in the building of the Ministry of Agriculture (pictured) where he participated in government meetings.

Scandals and accusations

In January 2025, a recording was published that dramatically influenced Beaver’s career. The media reported a video in which the former minister fires a gun through a car window, and then a video of him shooting from an automatic Kalashnikov in the field appeared. After that, on January 18, 2025, Dabro resigned from the position of Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Prime Minister. The DORH investigation was soon launched.

After removing the parliamentary immunity, the police arrested him in February 2025 for serious criminal charges. The prosecutor’s office charges him with violation of the child’s rights and Illicit holding of a weapon. According to the indictment, Dabro in the period 2020–2024. He enabled his minor son to shoot a Kalashnikov pistol and military machine and activate a hand grenade-like device. In addition, he allegedly owned a military Kalashnikov in the Vukovar-Srijem County, from which he fired several shots on the agricultural area. All of these videos and evidence were collected in the investigation, and his pretrial detention was ordered for him because of the possibility of influencing witnesses.

At the end of 2025, the indictment was confirmed at the County Court in Osijek. The indictment states that Dabro taught his child to shoot with weapons, filmed him, and gave him instructions when disassembling and cleaning rifles. In addition to charges of violation of the child’s rights, he is also charged with illegal possession of weapons and explosives – for which he faces a prison sentence of one to five years. Dabro categorically rejects the charges.

Conclusion

Josip Dabro is still an active member of parliament of the Homeland Movement. His biography spans the journey from a sports coach and local official to a ministerial function, but also a series of controversies that are currently in the court process. The fact remains that through sports and politics he built a specific image of the leader, and attracted a lot of public attention. It remains for readers to follow how the legal procedure will develop and what the outcome will be for Josip Dabra. For the latest information on this topic and other political news, please follow our posts.