Croatian Presidential Election Advances to Runoff
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Zagreb, Dec 30 (NationPress) The Presidential election in Croatia will proceed to a runoff scheduled for January 12, as no candidate obtained a majority of the votes in the recent elections, as announced by the Croatian State Election Commission (SEC).
With 99.88% of the votes counted, the incumbent President Zoran Milanovic, who is supported by the leading opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, led with 49.10% of the votes, just falling short of a first-round win. His closest rival, Dragan Primorac from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union, received 19.35%, as reported by the SEC.
According to Croatian election regulations, if no candidate achieves an outright majority, the top two candidates move forward to a runoff two weeks later.
While addressing his supporters, Milanovic expressed his appreciation and confidence in achieving victory.
"I firmly believe that in two weeks we will celebrate our success," he stated.
Primorac, addressing his followers, referred to the runoff as "a significant opportunity".
"This is a great chance ahead. Milanovic and I will face off directly, allowing us to see who truly understands what Croatia needs," he remarked. "Croatia requires change, and in two weeks, we will witness a pivotal moment in history."
The President of Croatia serves a term of five years and is eligible for re-election once, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Although the Croatian Presidency is mainly ceremonial, the elected President holds considerable political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military.
Milanovic has been vocal about his criticisms of NATO and EU support for Ukraine, consistently arguing that Croatia should maintain neutrality and refrain from engaging in international conflicts, despite being a member of both organizations.
Moreover, he has hindered Croatia's involvement in a NATO-led training program for Ukraine, asserting that "no Croatian soldier will participate in someone else's war."
His main opponent, Primorac, has declared that "Croatia's rightful position is in the West, not the East."
Nonetheless, Milanovic's campaign has been marred by a significant corruption scandal that led to the imprisonment of Croatia's Health Minister last month, which became a focal point in pre-election discussions.
