Croatians were casting ballots Sunday in a presidential runoff where the populist incumbent Zoran Milanovic appears set to win a second term, in what would be a blow to the scandal-hit governing party.Milanovic entered the contest with surging momentum as he faces off against Dragan Primorac, supported by the centre-right HDZ party that governs Croatia.The outspoken incumbent, backed by the left-wing opposition, won more than 49 percent of the vote during the contest’s first round two weeks ago — narrowly missing an outright victory.Primorac garnered less than 20 percent of the ballots, making it unlikely that he will make up ground in the runoff.A landslide win by Milanovic would be the latest setbacks for the HDZ and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic — Milanovic’s political arch-rival — after a high-profile corruption scandal in November.The vote comes 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.At 1030 GMT, or four and a half hours after voting started, turnout was around 14 percent, the electoral commission said — almost the same level at that time in the first round.- ‘Counterbalance’ -Although Croatia’s presidential powers are limited, many believe the post is key to maintaining a political balance in the country.The former Yugoslav republic has been mainly governed by the HDZ since declaring independence in 1991.The party “has too much control and Plenkovic is transforming into an autocrat,” Mia, a 35-year-old administrator from Zagreb who declined to give her last name, told AFP explaining her support for the incumbent.Milanovic, a former left-wing prime minister, took over the presidency in 2020 with the backing of the main opposition Social Democrats (SDP) party.A key figure in the country’s political scene for nearly two decades, he has increasingly employed offensive, populist rhetoric during frequent attacks aimed at EU and local officials.”Milanovic is a sort of a political omnivore,” political analyst Zarko Puhovski told AFP, saying the president was largely seen as the “only, at least symbolic, counterbalance to the government and Plenkovic’s power”.The no-holds-barred speaking style has sent Milanovic’s popularity soaring and helped attract the backing of right-wing supporters.On Thursday, he called on voters to “not to let the president be elected by Plenkovic, who wants a pushover who will carry out his personal will” — a reference to Primorac.Milanovic, 58, regularly pans the HDZ over the party’s perennial problems with corruption, while also referring to Plenkovic as “Brussels’ clerk”.On Sunday, after casting his ballot in Zagreb, Milanovic voiced confidence in victory. “I’ve done this job… in the best of faith, and I believe and hope that people also saw that,” he told reporters.- ‘Croatia always first’ -Primorac, a former education and science minister returning to politics after a 15-year absence, has campaigned as a unifier for Croatia. The 59-year-old also insisted on patriotism and family values.”My message is always the same — Croatia always comes first for me,” he told journalists after voting in Zagreb, adding that he would now attend a mass.One voter, 62-year-old pensioner Djuro Knezicic, said he backed Primorac as a person with “good international ties and he would achieve much better international cooperation for Croatia”.But critics say Primorac lacks political charisma and has failed to rally the HDZ base behind him.He accuses Milanovic of being a “pro-Russian puppet” who has undermined Croatia’s credibility in NATO and the European Union.Milanovic condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but has also criticised the West’s military support for Kyiv.He is also a prominent opponent of a programme that would have seen Croatian soldiers help train Ukrainian troops in Germany.
Sun, 12 Jan 2025 11:40:16 GMT
