Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has won a second term in office, according to a preliminary result based on vote count from 98.65% of polling stations. The opposition Social Democratic Party candidate secured 74.58% of votes, surpassing that of ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) candidate Dragan Primorac by a significant margin, with 25.42%. Turnout in the election was 44.15%.
In his victory speech, Milanovic praised the people’s trust and recognition for his work, saying it’s a “big day” for him personally. He previously stated that he has acted in the best faith during his term and hopes voters have seen that.
As head of state, Milanovic has limited powers, including no veto on laws but a significant say in foreign policy, defense, and security matters. His presidency was marked by tensions with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic over foreign policies, leading to frequent public exchanges between the two leaders.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/croats-vote-president-with-incumbent-milanovic-ahead-opinion-polls-2025-01-12