Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković criticizes drug sentencing and local politics

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković has engaged in a public dispute regarding drug sentencing and political accountability. Franković criticized the Association of Croatian Judges (UHS), arguing that local statistics regarding prison sentences do not negate national data showing that 68 percent of drug trafficking convictions result in suspended sentences. He called for legislative changes to eliminate suspended sentences for proven drug trafficking to better protect citizens.

In response to Franković’s concerns about drug crime, Anita Bonačić Obradović, president of the Dubrovnik SDP, accused the Mayor of hypocrisy. She noted that Franković, as a member of the ruling HDZ party, shares responsibility for the national legal and prevention systems he is now criticizing.

Separately, political tensions continue in Sinj, where the local HDZ branch has accused Mayor Miro Bulj of mismanagement, lack of investment, and failing to provide budget reports.