ZAGREB, Croatia — Zoran Milanovi?, the current President of Croatia, is the frontrunner for reelection as he prepares to compete against a candidate from the ruling conservative party in a runoff presidential election scheduled for Sunday.
In the initial voting round held on December 29, Milanovi? secured a significant lead, winning 49% of the vote. His closest competitor, Dragan Primorac, a forensic scientist making a second attempt at the presidency, garnered only 19%, along with five other candidates who trailed behind in the polls.
The runoff became necessary since Milanovi? fell short of an outright victory by just 5,000 votes. The election occurs during a challenging period for Croatia, a European Union and NATO member state with a population of 3.8 million, as it faces rising inflation, corruption issues, and a shortage of workers.
At 58 years old, Milanovi? is known for his outspoken stance against Western military aid to Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia. His combative communication style has led to comparisons with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, making him the most recognized politician in Croatia.
Having previously served as Prime Minister, Milanovi? possesses a mixed political history. He has consistently criticized current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi?, leading to ongoing disputes between the two leaders. Milanovi? has accused Plenkovi? and his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party of being deeply corrupt, labeling the Prime Minister a “serious threat to Croatia’s democracy.”
In a bid to shift the focus of the upcoming election, Plenkovi? has framed the vote as crucial for Croatia’s future within the EU and NATO, painting Milanovi? as “pro-Russian” and a risk to the nation’s international reputation. Political analyst Viseslav Raos noted that Milanovi? has no incentive to temper his bluntness, suggesting a lack of cooperation with the Prime Minister over his five years in office indicates it wouldn’t happen now.
While the role of president in Croatia is largely ceremonial, the office entails important political authority and serves as the supreme military commander. Many argue that the presidency plays a vital role in maintaining a balance of power in a country governed predominantly by the HDZ since 1991.
During a televised debate preceding the runoff, Milanovi? and Primorac engaged in a heated exchange that highlighted their significant political differences. Primorac began his political career in the early 2000s as the science and education minister under an HDZ-led government. After an unsuccessful presidential run in 2009, he shifted his focus to academia, teaching in various countries, including the United States and China.
Although Milanovi? has denied being pro-Russian, he previously blocked the deployment of five Croatian officers to a NATO mission in Germany intended to assist Ukraine. Furthermore, he has expressed his opposition to sending Croatian soldiers on NATO missions related to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Plenkovi?’s administration maintains that no such proposal exists.
Milanovi? lashed out at Primorac, accusing him of connections with “mass murderers,” specifically referencing associates of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. He also claimed that Plenkovi? supported Primorac politically, going as far as to label him “the last communist” due to Primorac’s previous affiliation with the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in the late 1980s.
In response, Primorac asserted that Milanovi?’s political allies include figures like Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Hungary’s populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The dynamics of this election highlight the turbulent political landscape in Croatia as it prepares for the decisive vote.
