The presidential campaign in Croatia officially commenced on Wednesday, featuring eight candidates, as announced by the electoral commission. Incumbent President Zoran Milanovic is widely regarded as the frontrunner.
Recent polls indicate that the 58-year-old socialist, noted for his increasingly populist rhetoric, is projected to secure over one-third of the votes in the first round scheduled for December 29, positioning him favorably to retain his largely ceremonial role.
His primary opponent, Dragan Primorac, 59, from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), trails by approximately ten points.
Following them are two female candidates: Marija Selak Raspudic (an independent) and Ivana Kekin (an environmentalist).
Milanovic, campaigning under the slogan “A President for the People,” won the presidency of this European Union member state in January 2020 as a candidate from the main opposition party, the Social Democrats (SDP), who continue to support him.
In Croatia, with a population of 3.8 million, the president serves as the country’s international representative, coordinates foreign policy with the government, and commands the armed forces.
