According to the preliminary results of the State Electoral Commission (DIP), the incumbent president and candidate of the SDP party Zoran Milanovic is convincingly in the lead in the first round of the presidential election with 49.10% of the vote. The HDZ party candidate, Dragan Primorac, is in second place with 19.35%.

Primorac addressed the public after the results were announced:

“Dear Croatians, thank you for going to the polls and showing your responsibility and patriotism. I would especially like to thank those who placed their trust in me, but also those who did not – because you will have the opportunity to do so in the second round of voting. I know the gap may seem large at first glance, but the first round was full of noise and many candidates. It was not easy to fully present our programme with so many centre and right-wing candidates. Now we have a great opportunity: Zoran Milanovic and I will finally face each other one on one, so let’s see who stands for what,” Primorac began.

“Milanovic, come forward and have your say”

“So far, Milanovic has had a team supporting him while he watched from the shadows. Now I am calling on him – starting tomorrow – to step up and speak out. Tell us what you think, what you know and what your programme is. I will convince you that my programme is much better for the future of Croatia,” he added.

Primorac called the current result a challenge and thanked the other candidates for their participation in the election: “Regardless of the first result, over 50 per cent of citizens want change and we will bring them that change. In the second round, we are starting afresh. All these voters say they want a different Croatia.”

“I will not disappoint them”

Primorac also thanked voters abroad for their support as well as Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the HDZ party: “They have shown how much they believe in me and I promise that I will not disappoint them.”

He concluded with about the stakes in the second round:

“12 January is a crucial day – a day when you will decide the fate of our homeland, which can no longer tolerate division, conflict and a president who leads a political faction from the shadows. Croatia needs a change. I invite you all to listen carefully to what Milanovic and I have to offer and to judge who is the better candidate. I urge everyone to go to the polls and vote for the future of our homeland,” said Primorac.