The vote comes as the EU member nation of 3.8 million people struggles with the highest inflation in the euro zone, endemic corruption and labor shortages.
At 1030 GMT, or four and a half hours after voting began, turnout was around 14 percent, the electoral commission said – almost the same level at that point in the first round.
– ‘Counterbalance’ –
Although Croatia’s presidential powers are limited, many believe the post is key to maintaining political balance in the country.
The former Yugoslav republic has been mainly ruled by the HDZ since they declared independence in 1991.
The party “has too much control and Plenkovic is turning into an autocrat,” Mia, a 35-year-old administrator from Zagreb who declined to give her last name, told AFP, declaring her support for the incumbent.
Milanovic, a former leftist prime minister, took over the presidency in 2020 with the support of the main opposition Social Democrats (SDP).
A key figure on the country’s political scene for nearly two decades, he has increasingly used offensive, populist rhetoric amid frequent attacks targeting EU officials and local officials.
“Milanovic is a kind of political omnivore,” political analyst Zarko Puhovski told AFP, saying the president was largely seen as the “only, at least symbolic, counterweight to the government and Plenkovic’s power”.
The outspoken style has seen Milanovic’s popularity soar and helped attract support from right-wing supporters.
On Thursday, he urged voters “not to let the president be elected by Plenkovic, who wants a pushover who will carry out his personal will” – a reference to Primorac.
Milanovic, 58, regularly panders to HDZ over the party’s ongoing problems with corruption, while referring to Plenkovic as “Brussels’ clerk”.
On Sunday, after casting his vote in Zagreb, Milanovic expressed confidence in the victory.
“I have done this job … in good faith, and I believe and hope that people saw that as well,” he told reporters.
– “Croatia always first” –
Primorac, a former education and science minister returning to politics after a 15-year absence, has campaigned as a unifier for Croatia. The 59-year-old also insisted on patriotism and family values.
“My message is always the same – Croatia always comes first for me,” he told journalists after voting in Zagreb, adding that he would now attend a mass.
One voter, 62-year-old pensioner Djuro Knezic, said he supported Primorac as a person with “good international ties and that he would achieve much better international cooperation for Croatia”.
But critics say Primorac lacks political charisma and has failed to rally the HDZ base behind him.
He accuses Milanovic of being a “pro-Russian puppet” who has undermined Croatia’s credibility in NATO and the EU.
Milanovic condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but has also criticized the West’s military support for Kiev.
He is also a prominent opponent of a program that would have seen Croatian soldiers help train Ukrainian troops in Germany.
By Lajla Veselica
