Zoran Milanovic re-elected Croatian President amid divisions

(CLO) Croatian President Zoran Milanović, a critic of the European Union and NATO, was re-elected for a five-year term after winning a landslide victory in the second round of elections on Sunday (January 12).

According to the results announced by the Croatian state election agency after counting more than 99% of the votes, Mr. Milanović won more than 74% of the votes compared to his opponent Dragan Primorac, who received only nearly 26%.

The result was a major boost for Milanović, who has been critical of Western military support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

In a speech after the results were announced, Milanović said his victory was a sign of approval and trust from voters but also conveyed a message "about the state of the country for those who need to hear it".

Croatian President Zoran Milanović was sworn in in 2020. Photo: Croatian Social Democratic Party

Mr Milanović, 58, is the most popular politician in Croatia and is sometimes compared to US President-elect Donald Trump because of his strong personality.

Mr Milanović's victory is expected to continue political conflict with the government of conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, with whom he had disagreements during his first term.

Mr Milanović also won easily in the first round of voting on December 29, beating Primorac, a scientist, and six other candidates. A runoff between the top two candidates was necessary because Mr Milanović failed to reach 50% of the vote with just 5,000 votes, while Mr Primorac was far behind with 19%.

As he cast his vote on Sunday, Mr Milanović again criticised the EU as “in many ways undemocratic” and run by unelected officials. The EU’s view that “if you don’t think like me, you’re the enemy” amounts to “psychological violence”, Mr Milanović said.

"This is not the modern Europe in which I want to live and work," he said. "I will try to change it, as much as I can as president of a small country."

He frequently accused Prime Minister Plenković and his conservative HDZ party of systemic corruption, while Plenković viewed Milanović as "pro-Russian" and a threat to Croatia's international standing.

Although the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, the elected president holds political power and serves as supreme military commander.

Mr. Milanović had blocked the deployment of five Croatian officers to the NATO mission in Germany called Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine. He also pledged that he would never approve the sending of Croatian soldiers to any NATO mission to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Primorac, 59, entered politics in the early 2000s, when he served as minister of science and education in the HDZ-led government. He unsuccessfully ran for president in 2009, and has since focused largely on his academic career, which has included teaching at universities in the United States, China and Croatia.

Bui Huy (according to CTN, CNN, PPG)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tong-thong-croatia-zoran-milanovic-tai-dac-cu-trong-su-chia-re-ve-chinh-tri-post330104.html