The HDZ party leadership is exploring all possible ways to attract more voters to vote for Dragan Primorac in the second round of the presidential election. Various analyses were conducted, Excel tables created, and research carried out to understand the reasons behind such a significant shortfall.

In the end, the PR experts decided that the HDZ candidate would have to roll up his sleeves and get into the ring with Zoran Milanovic in order to achieve better results in the second round.

WhatsApp message with detailed instructions

The HDZ leadership instructed the county organisations and party communities to call on all voters from the centre to the right to “stop the backward left, the united platform of SDP, Mozemo and Milanovic” and vote for the HDZ candidate Dragan Primorac.

According to the news site 24sata, the aim is for each member to bring at least three other voters with them. To this end, each member will receive a WhatsApp message with detailed instructions on how to attract as many voters as possible.

“Values such as patriotism, respect for veterans, the constitution and laws, and the vision of a more modern and stronger Croatia are the basis of our candidate’s programme. It is up to us to inform as many people as possible about these facts. Please: Share this information with friends, family and acquaintances, talk about the importance of voting and electing a candidate who is committed to unity and progress, and encourage as many people as possible to go out and vote – every vote is crucial!” the message reads.

A presentation comparing the two candidates

The party leadership has also started to motivate members by sending out a presentation comparing the two candidates, which was prepared in the summer by the head of Prime Minister Plenkovic’s cabinet, Zvonimir Frka-Petesic.

The presentation compares Zoran Milanovic, the presidential candidate of the SDP party and its partners, who received 49.09 per cent of the vote in the first round, with Dragan Primorac, the HDZ candidate, who received 19.35 per cent of the vote.

The presentation evaluates the candidates according to their status as veterans, their religious affiliation, their entrepreneurial success, their activity in sports, their vision for Croatia, their attitude towards Vukovar and their attitude towards the Cyrillic signs in Vukovar.