Croatia is holding a second round of presidential elections on January 12. Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanović won the first round of the presidential elections, which were held on December 29.
Points of attention
- Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanović won the first round of the presidential election and is fighting for his position in the second round.
- Zoran Milanović is known for his views on Ukrainian and international military conflicts, his critical attitude towards Croatia's participation in them, and his support for dictator Vladimir Putin.
- After the president's scandalous decisions regarding Croatia's participation in international military initiatives, a loud scandal erupted in the country.
- Zoran Milanović decided to keep Croatia away from participating in international military conflicts by not supporting the government's decision to participate in missions for Ukraine.
The second round of the presidential election in Croatia. What is known
Polling stations opened at 07:00 local time and will remain open until 19:00. The first exit poll results are expected shortly after the polls close.
About 3.8 million citizens have the right to vote.
As a reminder, in the first round of elections held on December 29, 2024, the incumbent President Zoran Milanović emerged as the leader, receiving 51.48% of the vote. His main rival, Dragan Primorac from the Croatian Democratic Union, received 19.29%.
Zoran Milanović is known for his sympathies for Vladimir Putin's policies and his critical attitude towards military support for Ukraine. In the fall of 2024, he blocked the participation of Croatian military personnel in the NATO Support for Ukraine Initiative (NSATU), stating that it could harm Croatia's national interests.
What else is known about the scandals involving Milanovich?
As previously mentioned, in October, Putin's henchman refused to send Croatian military personnel to participate in the NATO Security and Training Mission to Ukraine (NSATU).
Thus, he went against the country's government, which supported this initiative and proposed that the president finally approve it.
Unfortunately, despite the enormous military assistance that Ukraine receives, there is no end in sight to the war, but there is a threat of the war spreading beyond the borders of Ukraine. The task of the President of the Republic… is to protect Croatia from war and take all measures to keep Croatia from military conflicts, Zoran Milanović's team cynically stated.
After this decision, a loud scandal broke out in Croatia, as the country's government does not support the president's approach.
Also, Zoran Milanovic, who is a sympathizer of dictator Vladimir Putin, stated that he would not allow the introduction of Croatian military personnel into Ukraine as part of a European peacekeeping mission.
Discussions are starting again regarding the possible departure of soldiers from individual NATO countries to Ukraine. As long as I am the president of the republic, I will keep Croatia away from such conflicts. Croatia will not implement other people's decisions thoughtlessly and on someone's orders, - Milanović stated.
