Croatians vote to elect a new president in a largely ceremonial role, with incumbent Zoran Milanovic leading polls against main challenger Dragan Primorac.
Polling stations across Croatia opened at 06:00 GMT on Sunday to elect the country's new president, a mainly ceremonial office, in a race where candidates from the two biggest parties are the main contenders.
Around 3.8 million Croats are eligible to cast votes for one out of a total of eight candidates, three of whom are women, ranging from left to the right on the political spectrum.
Incumbent President Zoran Milanovic, the opposition Socialist Democrats' candidate, will run for a second term. His main challenger is Dragan Primorac, a former science minister backed by the governing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).
The election will go to a second round if none of the candidates wins a majority of the vote.
Milanovic has led in opinion polls before and after the election campaign which analysts described as dull and uninspiring. The latest poll published on Friday by Nova TV Daily News showed Milanovic leading with 37.2% support against Primorac with 20.4% support.
The next in line are two women - independent candidate Marija Selak Raspudic and Ivana Kekin of the We Can! (Mozemo) left-wing, green political party, who have garnered about 10% support each in the poll.
Polling stations close at 1800 GMT, and exit polls are expected minutes later. The first preliminary results will be known around 1900 GMT and official results are expected in the following days.
The presidential role is to a large extent ceremonial as the head of state cannot veto laws, but has a say in foreign policy, defence and security matters.
During his term, Milanovic, a former prime minister and a populist, has confronted Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic over foreign and public policies, with insults often traded between the two men.
Croatia holds a presidential run-off, with incumbent Zoran Milanovic leading in polls against Dragan Primorac.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic leads the first round of elections with 49.1% but faces a January 12 run-off against HDZ’s Dragan Primorac, who secured 19.4%, according to near-final results.
Tensions flared in Tirana on Monday, December 23 as opposition leader Sali Berisha led a protest calling for a caretaker government ahead of Albania’s May 2024 elections, with clashes between demonstrators and police.
Vigil held in Zagreb as community grieves the tragic loss of a seven-year-old child in primary school attack.
One pupil killed and several left injured after a knife attack at an elementary school in Croatia
Another devastating nightclub fire has struck—this time in Kocani, northern Macedonia. A blaze in the early hours of Sunday has left 59 people dead and over 100 injured, according to the interior ministry. Flames rapidly engulfed the ceiling and roof, turning a night out into a scene of tragedy.
The Vatican has released the first image of Pope Francis in hospital since he was admitted for double pneumonia, showing the 88-year-old pontiff seated in a chapel at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
The US has vowed to keep striking Yemen’s Houthis until they stop attacks on shipping, as the Iran-aligned group signalled potential escalation following US airstrikes that reportedly killed at least 31 people.
Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has expressed optimism that the U.S. president will speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week to discuss ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, following what he described as productive talks in Moscow.
A nationwide blackout in Cuba left 10 million without power. While parts of Havana have electricity, most areas remain dark. The outage, the fourth since October, highlights the country's energy crisis amid fuel shortages and ageing infrastructure.
The inside of a Herculaneum delicate & ancient scroll, unseen for nearly 2,000 years, has been revealed using Artificial Intelligence.
World leaders welcomed the 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine has agreed to, calling it a step toward ending the conflict with Russia.
In Tuesday’s closely watched parliamentary election, Greenland’s pro-business opposition Demokraatit party took a commanding lead after over 90% of the ballots were counted.
BioNTech forecasts a revenue decline for 2025, expecting between 1.7 billion and 2.2 billion euros, down from 2.75 billion euros last year. This drop is due to Pfizer write-downs and stable vaccination rates. BioNTech also plans significant job cuts and new hires.
Another devastating nightclub fire has struck—this time in Kocani, northern Macedonia. A blaze in the early hours of Sunday has left 59 people dead and over 100 injured, according to the interior ministry. Flames rapidly engulfed the ceiling and roof, turning a night out into a scene of tragedy.
The US has vowed to keep striking Yemen’s Houthis until they stop attacks on shipping, as the Iran-aligned group signalled potential escalation following US airstrikes that reportedly killed at least 31 people.
Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has expressed optimism that the U.S. president will speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week to discuss ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, following what he described as productive talks in Moscow.
A nationwide blackout in Cuba left 10 million without power. While parts of Havana have electricity, most areas remain dark. The outage, the fourth since October, highlights the country's energy crisis amid fuel shortages and ageing infrastructure.
Italy will unveil an industrial strategy in June, linking its automotive, defence, and aerospace sectors amid Europe's focus on defence spending and satellite security.
Another devastating nightclub fire has struck—this time in Kocani, northern Macedonia. A blaze in the early hours of Sunday has left 59 people dead and over 100 injured, according to the interior ministry. Flames rapidly engulfed the ceiling and roof, turning a night out into a scene of tragedy.
The Vatican has released the first image of Pope Francis in hospital since he was admitted for double pneumonia, showing the 88-year-old pontiff seated in a chapel at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
The US has vowed to keep striking Yemen’s Houthis until they stop attacks on shipping, as the Iran-aligned group signalled potential escalation following US airstrikes that reportedly killed at least 31 people.
Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has expressed optimism that the U.S. president will speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week to discuss ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, following what he described as productive talks in Moscow.
A nationwide blackout in Cuba left 10 million without power. While parts of Havana have electricity, most areas remain dark. The outage, the fourth since October, highlights the country's energy crisis amid fuel shortages and ageing infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment