Croatia Populist President Re-elected In Landslide

Croatia populist president re-elected in landslide

Zagreb, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2025) Croatia's populist President Zoran Milanovic was re-elected in a landslide, defeating his conservative rival in Sunday's run-off, official results showed.

Milanovic took more than 74 percent of the vote and Dragan Primorac, backed by the centre-right HDZ party that governs Croatia, almost 26 percent, with nearly all the votes counted.

It was the highest score achieved by a presidential candidate since the former Yugoslav republic's independence in 1991.

While the role of the president is largely ceremonial in Croatia, Milanovic's wide victory is the latest setback for the HDZ and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic -- Milanovic's political arch-rival -- after a high-profile corruption affair in November.

"Croatia, thank you!", Milanovic told his supporters who gathered at a Zagreb art and music club to celebrate his success.

"I see this victory as a recognition of my work in the last five years and a plebiscite message from Croatian people to those who should hear it", he said in a reference to the HDZ-led government.

The outspoken Milanovic, backed by the left-wing opposition, won more than 49 percent of the vote in the contest's first round two weeks ago -- narrowly missing an outright victory.

Turnout Sunday was nearly 44 percent, slightly lower than in the first round, the electoral commission said.

The vote was held as the European Union member nation of 3.8 million people struggles with the highest inflation rate in the eurozone, endemic corruption and a labour shortage.