The ecological disaster in Gospić, with 37,000 tons of illegally dumped waste, has triggered a wave of public reactions, and most poll respondents believe the government has lost its legitimacy.
After USKOK confirmed that the illegal waste dump in Gospić caused groundwater contamination across the entire Lika region, Index.hr conducted a poll among its readers with a simple question: should the government fall due to this ecological catastrophe? The response was overwhelming; by the time of publication, over 70,000 people had completed the survey, with more than 60,000 answering in the affirmative.
Only 5,000 readers disagree with the government's fall, while 6,000 believe that political responsibility should be established before a final judgment is made. The poll remains open for voting.
Recall that last week, USKOK released findings confirming the presence of so-called forever chemicals in the groundwater of the Lika area. The contamination resulted from 37,000 tons of waste that had been buried in and on the ground for months. An investigation is underway against the Šincek couple and several others for illegal waste disposal, which, according to current information, came from Slovenia, Italy, and medical waste from Croatian hospitals.
While awaiting a solution for proper waste management and preventing further pollution, citizens are not hiding their outrage. Index reporters spoke with passersby in Zagreb, and their reactions range from shock to open anger toward institutions.
One passerby emphasized that it's not just Gospić residents being poisoned, but all of Croatia.
"They're poisoning our children, our descendants, and I'm extremely sensitive to animals and plants too. The scale is immeasurable; we're talking about 37,000 tons,"she told Index.hr.
Another passerby couldn't comprehend how such a large amount of waste could go unnoticed.
"What are the authorities doing? Clearly, someone gave the green light,"he said, adding that this is a severe disaster for the environment, future generations, and sea quality. He also reminded that Croatia is a tourist country that should care for its environment.
One interviewee directly stated that institutional oversight has failed but believes citizens will only be able to express their dissatisfaction at the next parliamentary elections.
"It's unlikely the government will fall before that,"he added.
Another passerby described the situation as "terrifying" and demanded resignations within the relevant ministry. She warned that warnings had been appearing over the past few years, but authorities had turned a deaf ear to the people living there.
"The government has its players; they buy peace through veterans and pensioners, but there should be resignations in the ministry. We have young people capable of bringing the system into order,"she urged.
Another woman said it was horrifying that everyone acted as if nothing was happening and that it wasn't true.
"The destruction of our beautiful Croatia is terrifying,"she stated after seeing the environmental photos published in recent days.
Although passersby generally avoided pointing fingers at individuals, they believe responsibility lies very high up.
"There have been many situations that could have led to the government's fall, but here we are. People should finally do something together and strive to ensure such things never happen again,"one of them said.
An older passerby was even more direct.
"Catastrophe. I hold the government responsible; this couldn't have happened on its own. We need to see who's at fault. If it's the government, I believe it should fall,"he concluded.
