Croatia’s left-wing opposition walked out of parliament on Tuesday before Prime Minister Andrej Plenković delivered his annual report on the state of the nation, accusing him of political responsibility for the illegal dumping of hazardous waste in the Lika region.
The walkout came as the Croatian Parliament prepared to debate a motion of no confidence in Plenković, submitted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and backed by 54 lawmakers.
Before Plenković’s address, opposition MPs demanded his resignation, accusing the government of failing to act on the hazardous waste scandal in Gospić. Some lawmakers left the chamber, saying they did not want to participate in what they described as “Plenković’s performance.”
Nikola Grmoja of the Most party accused the prime minister of either failing to lead the government or being complicit with those allegedly responsible for the environmental scandal.
“Either he does not run the government at all and is merely a pawn of the mafia that poisoned Croatia, or he is in collusion with the mafia,” Grmoja said.
Sandra Benčić of the Možemo! party argued that Plenković and the authorities had been warned about the situation in Gospić. She said the mayor had raised concerns in 2025 and that an analysis from 2024 had already indicated the waste was hazardous.
“You kept this from the public for two years,” Benčić said.
Lawmakers from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) rejected the accusations as unfounded and unsupported by evidence. HDZ MP Majda Burić said criminal responsibility was a matter for law enforcement authorities, not opposition politicians.
Plenković accuses opposition of political theatre
Plenković described the opposition’s walkout as an established ideological tactic aimed at deepening divisions and undermining respect for state institutions.
He accused opposition parties of pursuing polarization and conducting what he called a prolonged, quasi-election campaign despite the next parliamentary elections being around two years away.
“Those who are doing this will certainly lose the next elections,” Plenković said.
Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković also questioned the opposition’s chances of securing enough votes to bring down the government. He described the initiative as politically weak, noting that it had attracted only 54 signatures.
A total of 76 votes are required to pass a motion of no confidence in the prime minister in Croatia’s 151-seat parliament. Jandroković said he expected a heated debate but anticipated that the governing coalition would maintain its support for Plenković.
He also dismissed concerns about falling HDZ support in a recent Crodemoskop poll, arguing that previous polling had not accurately predicted the outcome of the last parliamentary election.
SDP cites 37,000 tonnes of illegally accumulated waste
The SDP submitted its no-confidence motion in late September, arguing that the government bears political responsibility for the illegal accumulation of approximately 37,000 tonnes of waste in Gospić.
According to Croatian media reports, the motion sets out eight grounds for holding the government accountable and also raises questions about corruption allegations involving former Chief State Inspector Andrija Mikulić.
The proposal was not signed by the DOMiNO party or the Croatian Sovereignists, although the SDP has expressed hope that they will support it during the vote.
Plenković has previously said the waste would be removed and maintained that measurements conducted so far had not indicated a threat to the public water supply.
The parliamentary debate is expected to test the opposition’s ability to build broader support for the motion, while the governing coalition maintains that the accusations against the prime minister are politically motivated.
