America News Agency

According to data from 99.59% of polling stations published on the official website of the State Election Commission, Milanovic received 1,117,751 votes, while Dragan Primorac of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) secured 379,201 votes. Voter turnout was 44.17%.

Zoran Milanovic thanked journalists and his supporters from his campaign center, also asking for applause from HDZ party voters.

Milanovic served as Croatia's Prime Minister from 2011 to 2016 and has been president since 2020. He effectively led the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Croatia's largest opposition party, but left the party in 2020 after being elected president in accordance with the constitution.

On November 5, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic called the president "Putin's lapdog" for refusing to approve Croatia's participation in the NATO Security Assistance and Training Initiative (NSATU), which involved sending two officers to Wiesbaden, Germany. The decision could have been ratified by a two-thirds majority in parliament in 2025.

Milanovic publicly criticized the ineffectiveness of Western sanctions against the Russian Federation and opposed any involvement of Croatian troops in the conflict. Despite his statements, the Croatian government has provided $300 million in military and other aid to Kyiv and continues to do so.

The Croatian government, formed after the latest parliamentary elections under the leadership of Prime Minister and HDZ leader Andrej Plenkovic, took office on May 20. The first international contact was established through a phone call between Plenkovic and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, discussing the continuation of Croatia's comprehensive support to Kyiv.