Incumbent Milanovic to win Croatia’s presidential election: Early results
Al JazeeraDEC 2024
Croatia: Milanović to Face Conservative Rival in Presidential Runoff
Above: Running for reelection, Croatia's Pres. Zoran Milanović speaks as his wife Sanja Music Milanović looks on, at his Zagreb headquarters on Dec. 29, 2024. Image copyright: Damir Sencar/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
That Primorac has been able to force a second-round runoff election is great news, as a new two-week political game is now set to start. Milanović has shown nothing in his five years as president except his abhorrent desire to draw Croatia into the Russian sphere of influence. This will be a battle for the future of the country and one that Primorac must win.
Establishment-critical narrative
Milanović has achieved better-than-expected results in the first round, winning in every single county even as the ruling party used the state machinery to campaign for Primorac. This comes as the incumbent president has put the interests of his country over those of the European establishment, and as the HDZ has long been marred by scandals.