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
Canada’s Liberal Party is set to elect a new leader on March 9, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation. The winner will replace Trudeau as party leader and prime minister, potentially triggering an early national election.
Kyiv and its European allies demanded to be included in any peace negotiations after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and suggested Ukraine could neither reclaim all its lost land nor join NATO.
The rise of the right – and far-right – parties in Europe is reshaping the political landscape of the continent. AnewZ’s Leyla Rahimli's report examines what is fuelling the resurgence of these parties in the upcoming election cycle in Europe.
Estonia’s navy is ready to act against ships threatening Baltic Sea infrastructure, even in international waters, a senior official said Thursday.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine must be involved in any peace negotiations with Russia, rejecting bilateral talks between Moscow and Washington without Kyiv's participation.
The Sarandí stream in Buenos Aires, Argentina, turned bright red on Thursday for unknown reasons, raising concerns among authorities and residents. The waterway, which flows into the Río de la Plata, is under investigation to determine the cause.
Elon Musk has called for the shutdown of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA), arguing that the U.S.-funded media outlets serve as government propaganda tools and waste taxpayer money.
Apple is reportedly working on a version of AirPods Pro with integrated cameras, set to launch as early as 2027, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. While the cameras won’t be featured in the upcoming AirPods Pro 3, the new tech aims to enhance AI-driven features and spatial audio integration.
Public sector strikes are causing major disruptions across Germany, including halted public transport in Frankfurt, as workers demand higher pay and better conditions.
Oxford researchers unveil a scalable quantum supercomputer capable of quantum teleportation, paving the way for next-gen tech with enhanced security and computational power.
Canada’s Liberal Party is set to elect a new leader on March 9, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation. The winner will replace Trudeau as party leader and prime minister, potentially triggering an early national election.
Kyiv and its European allies demanded to be included in any peace negotiations after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and suggested Ukraine could neither reclaim all its lost land nor join NATO.
The rise of the right – and far-right – parties in Europe is reshaping the political landscape of the continent. AnewZ’s Leyla Rahimli's report examines what is fuelling the resurgence of these parties in the upcoming election cycle in Europe.
Estonia’s navy is ready to act against ships threatening Baltic Sea infrastructure, even in international waters, a senior official said Thursday.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine must be involved in any peace negotiations with Russia, rejecting bilateral talks between Moscow and Washington without Kyiv's participation.
Canada’s Liberal Party is set to elect a new leader on March 9, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation. The winner will replace Trudeau as party leader and prime minister, potentially triggering an early national election.
Kyiv and its European allies demanded to be included in any peace negotiations after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and suggested Ukraine could neither reclaim all its lost land nor join NATO.
The rise of the right – and far-right – parties in Europe is reshaping the political landscape of the continent. AnewZ’s Leyla Rahimli's report examines what is fuelling the resurgence of these parties in the upcoming election cycle in Europe.
Estonia’s navy is ready to act against ships threatening Baltic Sea infrastructure, even in international waters, a senior official said Thursday.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine must be involved in any peace negotiations with Russia, rejecting bilateral talks between Moscow and Washington without Kyiv's participation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment