Primorac submits signatures of support to the Commission, supported by Plenkovic and HDZ leaders

Primorac was accompanied by Prime Minister and HDZ party leader Andrej Plenkovic and his coalition partner Ivan Penava from the Domovinski pokret (DP) party.

Several HDZ ministers also accompanied Primorac to the State Electoral Commission.

After the signatures were handed over, statements were made to the media.

Plenkovic: "It is time for Croatia to turn the page"

Penava commented briefly: "The future President Primorac has submitted almost 110,000 signatures of support."

Plenkovic also made a statement: "It is a great pleasure for me that we have come in such large numbers to support Primorac, a unifying president. We believe that uniting this polarized society is the key message he sends, as a man who respects the Constitution and the rule of law."

"It is time for Croatia to turn the page, for Milanovic to become the past and Primorac to become the future. These are the most important messages," Plenkovic added.

Primorac thanked Plenkovic in particular, as well as all HDZ members and coalition partners. "You are my strength," he said and asked for applause for them.

"In just four days, only a winning team can collect 109,505 signatures," Primorac added.

"This programme is not written for five years, but for Croatia's leap into the 22nd century. It is modelled on the spirit of the most developed countries and democracies in the world," he said.

Primorac: "Nobody influences me, I cannot be blackmailed"

"We are turning to the implementation of our programme, in which I, as the new president, will work with the government to preserve everything that makes Croatia what it is today. I will respect the constitution and the law," he declared.

He said that Croatia would have the opportunity to choose its future and announced that he would do everything to make everyone proud of their president.

"Nobody can influence me, I will not be blackmailed. I will be a critic of all processes that are not going in the right direction, but I will also be a man of dialogue so that Croatia becomes a more civilised country," said Primorac.

"In recent days, we are witnessing how Milanovic’s energy is waning and he is already showing that he is a president of the past. You will be proud, you will have the president you deserve," he added.

Milanovic submitted signatures on Tuesday

The current president, Zoran Milanovic, submitted his signatures on Tuesday. The State Electoral Commission has confirmed that Milanovic has collected enough signatures.

In addition to Primorac and Milanovic, another candidate, the independent Drazen Pilic, has announced his visit to the commission for Tuesday, 10 December at 18:00.

The deadline for submitting candidacies is midnight on 10 December. After this deadline, the State Electoral Commission will have 48 hours to check the validity of the signatures and publish the list of presidential candidates. The official election campaign then begins, which lasts until Friday 27 December at midnight, when the election silence begins.

On Saturday 28 December and Sunday 29 December, any advertising, publication or prediction of results is prohibited until the polling stations close. Sunday 29 December is the day of the eighth presidential election in the Republic of Croatia.