Croatia’s president, Zoran Milanovic, has been re-elected in a landslide victory, winning almost three-quarters of the votes cast in the country’s presidential election. His opponent, Dragan Primorac, from the centre-right HDZ party, secured just 25% of the vote, marking the worst-ever result for Croatia’s most powerful political force.
The outcome was met with a muted response from Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who declined to congratulate Milanovic and claimed that he “offers nothing”. However, Milanovic offered a more conciliatory tone, stating he would provide a hand to the prime minister.
As president, Milanovic is expected to play a largely ceremonial role. The constitution prohibits him from being a party-political figure, while demanding he serve as head of state for all citizens. A frequent critic of the governing HDZ party on issues such as corruption, inflation, and healthcare, Milanovic’s election outcome may further erode the party’s dominance in Croatian politics.
Milanovic has a complex history with the HDZ party, having previously served as prime minister from 2011 to 2016. He briefly ran for prime minister last year but was deemed unconstitutional by the courts, prompting him to accuse the judiciary of acting on behalf of the HDZ party, which has been the dominant force in Croatian politics since independence in 1992.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwx5910ylyo