ZAGREB, Croatia — In a recent election, Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovi?, who is supported by the opposition and known for his criticism of both NATO and the European Union, has achieved a decisive victory in the runoff vote held on Sunday. According to official results, Milanovi? secured more than 74% of the votes, significantly outperforming his opponent, Dragan Primorac, who garnered approximately 26%. This information was released by Croatia’s state election authorities after nearly all ballots had been counted.
The outcome of this election serves as a significant endorsement for Milanovi?. He has openly criticized Western military assistance to Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict with Russia and has frequently clashed with Croatia’s conservative Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovi?. In his address following the announcement of the results, Milanovi? interpreted his victory as not only a personal achievement but also a reflection of the public sentiment regarding the nation’s circumstances. “I urge them (the government) to take note,” he stated. “This is not solely support for me.”
At 58, Milanovi? has emerged as Croatia’s most favored political figure. His style of communication and confrontational approach often draw comparisons to that of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. His re-election sets the stage for a continued political rivalry with PM Plenkovi?, reminiscent of the discord during his previous term in office.
In the initial round of voting on December 29, Milanovi? also performed strongly, leaving Primorac, who has previously run for president, and several other candidates far behind. A runoff was mandated because Milanovi? did not attain 50% of the votes, falling short by just 5,000 votes, while Primorac, trailing significantly, received 19%. The election took place in a challenging economic environment, where Croatia, with a population of 3.8 million, faces issues like high inflation, corruption scandals, and a labor shortage.
On election day, Milanovi? reiterated his critical stance against the EU, describing it as “non-democratic in many respects” and governed by officials who were not elected. He condemned the EU’s mentality of viewing dissent as hostility, referring to it as a form of “mental violence.” “That’s not the modern Europe I want to inhabit,” he commented, expressing his intention to advocate for changes within the framework of his role as president of a smaller nation.
Having previously served as prime minister, Milanovi? has a mixed political legacy. He often accuses Plenkovi? and the conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of fostering systemic corruption, while Plenkovi? has labeled Milanovi? as “pro-Russian” and potentially damaging to Croatia’s international relations.
Political analyst Višeslav Raos remarked that Milanovi?’s forthrightness means he has no reason to temper his words or position. “If cooperation with the prime minister was absent during the first five years of his presidency, what reason is there to expect it now?” he asked. Although the role of the presidency in Croatia is predominantly ceremonial, the president retains significant political power and serves as the supreme commander of the military.
Milanovi? denies any pro-Russian inclinations; however, he did halt the sending of Croatian officers to NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine mission last year. Furthermore, he has declared that he would not endorse the deployment of Croatian troops to any NATO mission in Ukraine—a claim that Plenkovi? and his administration contest as lacking any actual proposals.
Despite the presidency’s limited formal powers, the position is widely regarded as crucial for maintaining party balance in a nation that has been primarily led by the HDZ since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Primorac, aged 59, entered the political arena in the early 2000s, having served as the minister for science and education in a previous HDZ government. After an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2009, he shifted focus towards academia, teaching at various universities in the U.S., China, and Croatia.
