
A million alarm signals in HDZ
This is so far the heaviest defeat at the national level for HDZ since its formation. The current president won in the city of Zagreb and in all counties
The convincing victory of Zoran Milanović in the presidential elections in Croatia is interpreted as a mass protest against the Croatian Democratic Union and an alarm for the right-wing party that the citizens are not satisfied with its rule, regardless of the fact that the majority voted for it last year.
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Although even before the second round of voting Milanović was expected to defeat the opponent Dragan Primorac, proposed by HDZ, few believed that the difference could be so great. Milanović won 1,12 million votes, ie 74,7 percent, and Primorac won 380.000, almost three times less.
This is so far the heaviest defeat at the national level for HDZ since its formation. For comparison, in the previous elections in 2020, Milanović defeated Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović with a difference of a hundred thousand votes, and in 2015 she won 34.000 votes more than Ivo Josipović. Only Franjo Tuđman, in the first elections in 1992, won a higher percentage of votes, 74,9 percent, than Milanović on Sunday.
The current president won in the city of Zagreb and in all counties, most convincingly in Istria, with 90 percent of the votes, and narrowest in Ličko-Senj county, with 59 percent. In Zagreb, Milanović won 79,5 percent of the votes. At the polling station in Civljane in Šibenik-Knin county, Milanović received all 37 votes, and Primorac none.
– This is a big day for me, I perceive this victory as recognition and approval for my work. This is a plebiscite message from the Croatian people for all those who need to hear it - said Milanović in his triumphant address.
A hand out to opponents
At the same time, he "extended his hand" for cooperation with HDZ.
- There is another category of our citizens, the same as these here, and they voted for me. Please, big applause for HDZ members. As you like, my hand is extended to those in the executive branch who say they are responsible for 99 percent of everything... This is not support for me, no one has the support of 70 and a half percent of the voters, it is only at this moment and only today - said the president.
Even more impressive than the huge difference is that neither the defeated Primorac nor Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic congratulated Milanovic on his victory.
Instead of congratulating, the prime minister recalled that Milanovic did not congratulate him on the victory of HDZ in the parliamentary elections.
- We understood the results of the elections. We defeated Milanović in the parliamentary elections. He appeared there as a violator of the Constitution. From tomorrow we are going to continue working for Croatia, we have two years of work ahead of us - said Plenkovic.
The HDZ leader tried to distance himself from the result of Primorac, who actually ran as an independent candidate.
– This is not my defeat. Primorac was an excellent candidate. He, unlike Milanović, had a program. Primorac presented his, Milanovic did not present anything. It is a lesson - said the Prime Minister.
Plenkovic admitted that "this is a wake-up call" for HDZ and that the party "didn't have a better candidate than Primorac", but refused to accept the results as "an alarm" or "punishment" for the government, especially in his term.
- What did we do badly for Croatia during my mandates? You cannot blame me for what happened during the time of (Ivo) Sanader. That was before I was at the head of HDZ. We paid the fine. We have completely solved it. The fact that someone has an agenda to work against HDZ is another matter - said Plenkovic.
The arrogance of HDZ
Political analyst Zharko Puhovski assessed the reaction of HDZ as "dangerous" "as if it had not lost the elections".
- Plenkovic suffered his first serious defeat. He reacted very clumsily. The fact that they did not congratulate Milanovic is not so important, because Milanovic did not congratulate them either, except that it shows that the simple behavior continues. But it is much more important that the HDZ still reacts as if they did not lose the elections, as if they are not aware of the reality, and that is very dangerous, because they still rule in Croatia - Puhovski assessed for the Index portal.
Berto Šalaj from the Faculty of Political Science assessed that the HDZ would probably have been more satisfied if Milanović had won in the first round, for which he needed only a few thousand more votes.
- Even at the beginning of the presidential campaign, they knew that Dragan Primorac could hardly beat Zoran Milanović, but in two weeks they suffered two serious failures in an attempt to start their party machine. We know that HDZ is a powerful party, but obviously nothing could help when you have such a weak candidate - said Shalay.
Political scientist Jakov Žižić places the responsibility for the defeat on Prime Minister Plenkovic.
- The power is concentrated in the hands of Andrej Plenkovic, as a decision-maker and he has absolute control over the elections of all candidates, including this one. It is a great responsibility of Plenkovic, first of all his. Of course, no one, not even him, will say that it is his personal responsibility, that it is his personal defeat, but the fact is that with such a candidate they suffered such a painful and convincing defeat - says Žižić.
Hard to approach
Experts believe that the convincing defeat does not mean that HDZ will surely lose power, but is only a momentary expression of the mood of the citizens.
- People simply did not want HDZ to control all the levers of power in Croatia. This is a kind of defeat for Andrej Plenkovic, but I agree that it probably won't have an impact on his position in the party and at the head of the government - Shalay said.
Žižić also does not believe in bringing the diametrically opposite positions of the HDZ and the Social Democratic Party closer together, contrary to Milanović's statement that he is "giving his hand to the government".
- For some time, before the start of the official campaign, Milanovic showed his conciliatory side, as a desire for some kind of cooperation, compromises and agreements. But there is a big difference between what is said in the campaign and what is done when you govern - said Žižić.

Shalay does not expect any rapprochement between Milanovic and Plenkovic.
- Someone in that relationship should not take a step forward, extend a hand, but take a step back, give up on some of their demands and blockages. Zoran Milanović's political campaign so far does not suggest that he could go in that direction, especially when on the opposite side you have a prime minister who does not even want to listen (to reconciliation). We didn't hear a congratulation last night, but a return: "Zoran Milanović didn't congratulate us either." I don't see any room for progress here. If we can't say on that level of political etiquette: "This is what the citizens wanted, we live in a democracy, I congratulate the winner even though I don't agree with him", then it's hard for me to say how to reach some sort of compromise between the two of them. - said the political scientist.
Pukhovski, on the other hand, adds that this is a victory for Milanović personally, and not for the Social Democrats.
- SDP is smuggled past Milanović. The party is used to sitting comfortably in the shadows and thus progressing, as the results of the polls show - says Pukhovski.
He assesses that apart from the two main political parties, there is no third party that could threaten them.
- At this moment, in addition to HDZ and SDP, there is also Most, who tied himself to an inarticulate candidate with an appetite for primitivism and who, even worse for them, has been behaving for a long time as a non-governmental organization that deals with politics, and does not want to be in power - says Pukhovski.
Primorac congratulates Andrej and HDZ
Defeated candidate Dragan Primorac refused to congratulate Zoran Milanović on his victory, but instead congratulated "Croatian democracy", HDZ and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
- From Milanović, I share different spiritual, moral and professional values and visions for the future. The decision of the citizens should be respected. Croatia was created on the sacrifices of the defenders. I believe in a Croatia in which every person will have dignity, which will be strongly positioned in the world, which will cooperate with NATO, with the European Union, which will have a strong economy. Dear Andrej, I want to thank you and all the members of the government and HDZ for their support - said Dragan Primorac.