Croatia: Zoran Milanovic Remains Favourite to Win Presidential Election
Zoran Milanovic. X/ @SvinjaPradidova
December 27, 2024 Hour: 9:06 am
‘Croatian soldiers will not fight in foreign wars,’ he vowed.
On Sunday, Croatia will hold presidential elections, with the current head of state, Zoran Milanovic, favored to win. He is positioned as a counterbalance to the conservative HDZ party, which has dominated Croatian politics for 30 years.
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Analysts do not expect these elections to bring surprises or significant changes to this country of four million people, which has been a NATO member since 2009 and part of the European Union since 2013.
In recent years, Milanovic has shifted towards increasingly nationalist, Eurosceptic, and pro-Russian positions, often clashing with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s administration.
Milanovic, a 58-year-old lawyer and diplomat, is the candidate of an alliance between the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) and nine smaller center-left parties. As prime minister from 2011 to 2015, he expanded LGBTQ+ rights, introduced measures to alleviate debts denominated in Swiss francs, and sought to enhance the rights of the Serbian minority.
According to a recent poll, Milanovic is expected to win the first round with 39% of the vote, compared to 23% for Dragan Primorac, the candidate from Plenkovic’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and a physician and genetic researcher.
Among the six other candidates, the independent conservative Marija Selak Raspudic stands out, polling at around 10%, while Ivana Kekin of the center-left “We Can” (Možemo) party is projected to receive 9%. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority in Sunday’s first round, the top two candidates will proceed to a second and final round two weeks later.
A Counterbalance to the Government
The presidency in Croatia is primarily a ceremonial role but carries significant social prestige and some authority in foreign policy. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
Milanovic’s main advantage is that many citizens see him as a counterweight to the HDZ, which has governed for 25 of Croatia’s 33 years of independence, said analyst Goranko Fižulic.
“Now, when all levers of power are under the control of one party—from the central government to regional and local administrations, and from culture to sports—Milanovic is seen as the only check on the HDZ’s dominance,” Fižulic stated, adding that “the quality of his work has become secondary, and many who disagree with him will still vote in his favor.”
The political analyst believes that right-wing voters attracted by Milanovic’s “sovereignist” and “patriotic” stances will also support him in the second round.
Milanovic became president in 2020 after defeating HDZ-backed Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic with 53% of the vote. His first term has been marked by frequent clashes with the government and Plenkovic.
Due to their disagreements, Croatia has not appointed any ambassadors in five years. Milanovic also vetoed the government’s decision to send six Croatian officers to NATO’s mission training Ukrainian troops in Germany, arguing it would effectively drag Croatia into the war.
Differences Over the EU and Ukraine
During the electoral campaign, Primorac pledged strong support for Plenkovic’s pro-EU and pro-NATO policies. He accused Milanovic of trying to “push Croatia into the Russian sphere.”
At the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in 2022, Milanovic claimed NATO had provoked Moscow with its “drive for expansion.” He reiterated that “Croatian soldiers will not fight in foreign wars” and criticized the European Union as being led by “second-rate bureaucrats,” accusing Plenkovic of being “subservient” to them.
Economic Achievements and Corruption
Despite achieving economic milestones under Plenkovic, including joining the eurozone and a 3.6% GDP growth in 2024, Croatia remains among the five poorest EU member states. Moreover, his administration has been tainted by corruption scandals.
In November, Health Minister Vili Beroš was arrested and dismissed after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office accused him of accepting bribes from a criminal group in exchange for purchasing overpriced medical equipment for public hospitals.
Plenkovic argued that the arrest demonstrated the rule of law’s effectiveness. However, the decision by Chief Prosecutor Ivan Turudic—who is close to the HDZ—to take over the case from the European Prosecutor’s Office has raised suspicions of an attempt to block the investigation.
Public outrage has been widespread, and Milanovic accused the authorities of being incapable of confronting organized crime and corruption.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
