Zoran Milanovic wins a resounding victory in Croatia’s presidential election, securing over 74% of the vote.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, known for his Eurosceptic views, opposition to NATO, and his criticism of Western military aid to Ukraine, has been re-elected for a second term.
With 100% of the votes counted, the State Election Commission announced Milanovic received 74.68% of the vote in Sunday’s runoff, defeating Dragan Primorac of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).
Voter turnout was approximately 45% of the roughly 3.5 million registered voters, according to the commission.
In his acceptance speech, Milanovic viewed his win as a mandate for his past five years in office.
“This is a clear message from the Croatian people, and I urge those who should to listen,” he said, seemingly addressing the HDZ government.
While Croatia’s government holds the main powers, the president’s role, though largely ceremonial, includes serving as supreme military commander.
Milanovic stated that in his second term, he aims to be “an active participant in foreign policy… In matters of defense and security, I will act as Commander-in-Chief—not as an equal, but as the highest authority—as the Constitution mandates.”
The 58-year-old narrowly missed outright victory in December’s first round, falling short of the 50% threshold by less than 1%.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic previously called Milanovic “pro-Russian,” referring to him as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s puppet and alleging that his stance threatened Croatia’s democracy and international relations.
Milanovic rejected these claims, stating his main goal was to prevent Croatia’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Since the escalation of the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv in February 2022, the Croatian government has provided €300 million (about $306 million) in military aid to Ukraine, including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
Milanovic has consistently criticized Zagreb’s support for Ukraine, calling the conflict a NATO proxy war against Russia. Last year, he blocked the deployment of five Croatian officers to a NATO mission in Germany. He also vowed never to approve sending Croatian soldiers to Ukraine as part of any NATO mission.