Croatia: President Milanović wins in the runoff over the government party

On Sunday, the opposition supported President Zoran Milanović in Croatia with an overwhelming majority won a re -election for another five -year term. According to official results, he prevailed against the ruling conservative party in the runoff.

election results and reactions

Milanović received over 74 % of the votes, while his challenger Dragan Primorac, a forensic scientist, had just under 26 %. These results were published by the Croatian electoral authorities after more than 99 % of the votes were counted. The victory represents an important upswing for Milanović, which criticizes the western military aid for ukraine at war and a decisive opponent of the conservative prime minister Andrej Plenković is.

of the election: claims to the government

In his speech After the announcement of the results, Milanović stated that his victory was a sign of the trust of the voters and a message about the current situation in the country. "I ask the government to hear that," said Milanović. "It's not just a support for me, but the will of the citizens."

political arguments

The 58-year-old Milanović is considered the most popular politician in Croatia and is sometimes compared with the elected US President Donald Trump Communication style towards political opponents. His success paves the way for a continuation of the political examination with Prime Minister Plenković, with whom he was conflict during his first term.

elections in the context of current challenges

Milanović had already won significantly in the first round of the election on December 29, Primorac and another six candidates left far behind. The runoff election was necessary because Milanović only remained 5,000 votes below the required 50 %mark, while Primorac was significantly behind him.

criticism of the European Union

Milanović once again expressed sharp criticism of the EU at the election on Sunday, described it as "in many ways undemocratic" and led by united officials. In his opinion, the EU promotes an attitude in which the opposite opinions are considered hostile, which it described as "intellectual violence". "This is not what modern Europe looks like in which I want to live and work," he added, emphasizing that he would try to change this as president of a small nation.

The role of the president in Croatia

Although the position of president in Croatia is largely ceremonial, a elected president has political authority and acts as the top military commander. Milanović, who has been Prime Minister in the past, regularly accuses Plenković and the conservative HDZ to systematic corruption, while Plenković Milanović refers to the "pro-Russian" and a threat to Croatia's international reputation.

sustainable political effects

Political analyst Višeslav Raos emphasized that the increasingly louder Milanović has no reason to hold back or want to please someone. "If there was no cooperation with the Premier in the first five years of his presidency, why should it be different now?" he asked.

About Dragan Primorac

Dragan Primorac, 59 years old, has been active in politics since the early 2000s when he was a minister of science and education in a government led by the HDZ. In 2009 he ran unsuccessfully for the presidency and since then mainly focused on his academic career, including teaching at universities in the United States, China and Croatia.