In a clear break with tradition, President-elect Zoran Milanovic will not hold a public ceremony in St. Mark's Square in Zagreb to mark his inauguration later this month, but will instead opt for a low-key event attended by fewer than 40 Croatian officials at the President's Palace, his office announced on Wednesday.

A total of 39 guests have been invited to Zoran Milanovic’s presidential inauguration, set for 18 February in the President’s Palace on Pantovcak Hill in Zagreb, and the guests are divided in three categories: state officials including two ex-presidents, Milanovic’s family members, and the members of his campaign staff.

Informing the press about the list of guests, the head of the President-Elect’s Office, Orsat Miljenic said on Wednesday that the presidential transition ceremony will be held immediately after the official part of the inauguration, that will start at noon.

“The inauguration will be held on 18 February at the President’s Office, it will last for about an hour, or an hour and 15 minutes. The first part of the ceremony will consist of the oath of office and the President-Elect’s speech. After that, a short cocktail will be organised, and after that, we have planned that the takeover ceremony be held, which is not a part of the inauguration. However, considering that this is an inauguration at the workplace, in a way, maybe those two should be connected,” stated Miljenic.

As for the 39 guests invited to the inauguration, he said that they were divided into the three categories.

“They are state officials, the Prime Minister and the inner cabinet, the Parliament Speaker and Deputy Speakers, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, the Constitutional Court’s President and judges, who are a part of the ceremony. The other part are the President-elect Milanovic’s family, and the third are his campaign staff, the people who took part in his campaign,” said Miljenic.

As only state office-holders have been invited, it means that there will be no political parties’ presidents, diplomats, or church representatives.

Apart from the Incumbent President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, the inauguration at the President’s Office will be attended by the following state officials: the Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic and the five Parliament Deputy Speakers, the Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the four Deputy Prime Ministers, the Constitutional Court President Djuro Sessa, the Chief of the General Staff and General Mirko Sundov.

Two ex-Croatian heads of state, Stipe Mesic and Ivo Josipovic will also attend the inauguration, as well as 19 members of the Milanovic’s campaign staff.

The ceremony will also be attended by the Constitutional Court President and judges, the national anthem performers and the a cappella vocal group of the Croatian Navy, and the Croatian Army Orchestra with the Honour Guard Battalion will be present at the plateau in front of the President’s Office.

Milanovic will take his presidential oath of office in front of the Constitutional Court President.

Miljanic said that everything was arranged in agreement with the Incumbent President’s Office.