The presidential candidate of the Mozemo party, Ivana Kekin, gave a speech after the election results, in which she received 8.87% of the vote, which is over 143,000 votes.

“We started this campaign on 10 September and we have grown thanks to your support, your volunteer work and your donations. I would like to remind you that we received 1,300 donations, with an average of 30 euros. We have received twice as many individual donations as all the other seven candidates combined. We are not backed by patrons, tycoons or companies with vested interests – just ordinary citizens, pensioners, students and workers who believe in the idea of a better and healthier Croatia. This was our first candidature in a presidential election. I thank the party for the support it has given me every day,” said Kekin.

“I will not give up or remain silent”

She reflected on the challenges of the election campaign:

“The election campaign was dirty, it was hard, and there were many low blows, but as we can see, those who relied on it did not benefit from it. In this country, citizens rightly fear that the HDZ will take over the few remaining institutions and spaces of freedom. That was demonstrated in this election, and fortunately that won’t happen here.”

Kekin also addressed the voters and explained her choice for the second round: “I can proudly say that our voters stood by our party and supported the unexpected success of Zoran Milanovic. I must say that I disagree with him on many issues, but in a fortnight I will go to the polls and vote for Milanovic.”

She emphasised the importance of public interest in politics:

“The task of our generation is to fight for a welfare state, and we have built a core group that is ready to take up this challenge with us. The message I received most often in those three months was: ‘Don’t give up.’ Let me say from here – I will not give up or remain silent. There is no way I will stop fighting for the things that matter to the majority. I will fight even harder. We have the local elections ahead of us and that’s what we need to focus on. Together we will continue the fight.”