Presidential Election Begins In Croatia With Milanovic Leading In Polls For Election

Croatia is set to elect their new president as voting has begun on Sunday. Zoran Milanovic, who has been a vocal critic of European Union and NATO support for Ukraine, is leading in the presidential race.

Approximately 3.8 million registered voters will be choosing between eight candidates, including three women, from a broad political spectrum. As of 3:30 p.m. GMT, voter turnout was at 36.09%, down slightly from the 38.82% at the same time in the 2019 presidential election.

Milanovic is the candidate for the opposition Socialist Democrats. He is going for his second term as president. His main contender is former science minister Dragan Primorac, whom the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) will support. Milanovic is leading in the polls at 37.2% support, while Primorac received 20.4%. Independent candidate Marija Selak Raspudic and Ivana Kekin from the leftist-green party We Can! (Mozemo) were trailing with around 10% support each.

Primorac appealed to the Croats to vote, saying that the election was crucial for the future of the country, while Milanovic appealed to the voters, recalling his presidency as a time when power was balanced with the HDZ-dominated government.

The election is to proceed to a second round on January 12, with no candidate winning by absolute majority. Milanovic had also frequently locked horns with PM Andrej Plenkovic during his first term ending February 18; on both occasions, Milanovic had spoken out sharply against the EU and NATO’s participation in Ukraine, positioning him against the government.