Politics
Monday, 6 January 2020
Officials Extend Orthodox Christmas Greetings
ZAGREB, January 6, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday extended greetings to all believers who celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar. "Merry Christmas to all Orthodox believers. May these days of celebration bring peace, health and happiness to your homes and your families," he said in a note. Christmastime ennobles and strengthens the spirit so that we can continue to promote dignity, social justice and moral values for the benefit of our country, he said. President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Monday extended greetings to believers who celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar.…
Monday, 6 January 2020
US Embassy, European Council President Congratulate President-Elect Milanović
ZAGREB, January 6, 2020 - The US Embassy in Zagreb on Monday congratulated Zoran Milanović on winning Sunday's presidential election, saying Croatia was a US ally and friend and that it was looking forward to a continued partnership during his term. "Croatia is a steadfast friend and ally of the United States, and we draw strength from our shared values and commitment to transatlantic security, economic cooperation, and energy diversification. We fully support Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union and its commitment to Southeast Europe’s Euro-Atlantic future. We are grateful for the last five years of close…
Monday, 6 January 2020
Croatian Zoran Milanović First Former Prime Minister Elected President
Although only 53 years old, Croatian President-elect Zoran Milanović is already a political veteran. Since Croatia's independence, he is the only politician to be elected to two of the most important state functions, first as prime minister and now president. He was born on October 30, 1966 in Zagreb. In private conversations, he likes to point out that Zagreb shaped his identity, but was also intrigued by his family history, according to Robert Bajruš/Jutarnji List on January 6, 2020. Therefore, Milanović researched archives from Austrian barracks and the Sinj monastery in a quest for information on his ancestors and their…
Monday, 6 January 2020
Milanovic Didn't Win, Kolinda Lost: 2014 v 2019 and the BiH Anomaly
January 6, 2020 - A quick comparison of the Croatian Presidential election results o 2014 and 2019 shows where Kolinda lost, as well as a rather interesting anomaly in the diaspora. The people have spoken, and Croatia has voted for a new President, former SDP Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, who beat incumbent HDZ President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic by a comfortable margin of more than 100,000 votes, 52.67% to 47.33%, 1,034,389 votes to 929,488, a margin of victory of 104,901. International media are reporting that voters moved to the left, but a little research into the statistics of the 2014 election, where…
Monday, 6 January 2020
Prime Minister Plenković Expects Hard Cohabitation with President-Elect Milanović
ZAGREB, January 6, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković congratulated Zoran Milanović on winning the presidential election on Sunday, saying he expected a hard cohabitation in accordance with the constitution and law. "I congratulate Zoran Milanović on winning the trust of the majority of the Croatian electorate in the second round of the presidential election and wish him success in his work. We will work together in accordance with our constitutional powers and the law," Plenković told the press after Milanović, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and several other centre-left parties, won the runoff election against the…
Monday, 6 January 2020
Outgoing President Grabar-Kitarović Extends Her Hand to Milanović
ZAGREB, January 6, 2020 - The incumbent president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, speaking on Sunday evening after the announcement of preliminary results of the runoff election showing that she had lost to her challenger, former Social Democrat prime minister Zoran Milanović, extended her hand to the winner and said she expected a civilised transfer of power. "Croatia has decided. Zoran Milanović will be the next president and I congratulate him on that," Grabar-Kitarović said in her campaign headquarters, asking her supporters to stop booing at the mention of Milanovic's name. She proposed that she and Milanović meet before the formal handover of…
Monday, 6 January 2020
President-Elect Milanović Pledges to Live Up to Trust Placed in Him
ZAGREB, January 6, 2020 - Croatia's President-elect, Zoran Milanović, said in his first address after the presidential runoff on Sunday that he hoped he would not let down the people who placed their trust in him. During his speech, interrupted by greetings and chants of about 1,000 jubilant supporters and Social Democratic Party officials and members in his election headquarters, Milanović said that the election campaign was "tough, long and not always fair." "However, politics is a passionate job, full of love and sometimes filled with intolerance, and I did my best," said the fifth elected president of Croatia since…
Sunday, 5 January 2020
Croatia Presidential Election: Milanović Defeats Incumbent Grabar-Kitarović
According to final election results, released at 5:30am CET (Central European Time) on January 6, 2020; former Prime Minister Zoran Milanović has defeated incumbent Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and won his first five-year term as President of Croatia. Here is a breakdown of the final election results with 100% votes processed (updated 5:30am CET): 52.67% - Zoran Milanović – Former Prime Minister | SDP47.33% - Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – Incumbent President | HDZ Former Croatia Prime Minister Began Career as Diplomat Zoran Milanović, born in 1966; was Prime Minister of Croatia from 2011 to 2016. He was also the leader of…
Sunday, 5 January 2020
Turnout by 11.30 Higher Than on December 22
ZAGREB, January 5, 2020 - 120,000 more voters went to the polls by 11.30 a.m. in Sunday's presidential runoff than in the first election round on December 22, the State Election Commission said. The turnout by 11.30 a.m. was 18.87% while two weeks ago it was 15.75%. Even though the turnout is rather good, it is lower than five years ago, when in the presidential runoff between Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Ivo Josipović 100,000 more voters went to the polls by 11.30 a.m. In neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina 3,500 more voters went to the polls by 11.30 a.m. than in the…
Sunday, 5 January 2020
EC Delegation to Visit Croatia on January 9 for Beginning of Its EU Presidency
ZAGREB, January 5, 2020 - The beginning of Croatia's presidency of the Council of the European Union will be officially marked in Zagreb next week, when the entire European Commission, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as European Council President Charles Michel, will visit Zagreb. European Council President Michel will arrive in Zagreb on January 9, and during the day he will meet with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and in the evening attend a ceremony marking the start of Croatia's EU presidency at the Croatian National Theatre (HNK). After the ceremony, a dinner will be hosted by…
Sunday, 5 January 2020
Polling Stations Open in Presidential Runoff in Croatia
ZAGREB, January 5, 2020 - Polling stations opened across Croatia at 7 a.m. Sunday in the presidential runoff in which 3,860,000 eligible voters are choosing between incumbent Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, supported by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and former prime minister Zoran Milanović, the candidate of the opposition Social Democrats (SDP). Election silence went into force at midnight on Friday and ends at 7 p.m. today when polling stations close. As in the first round of the vote on December 22, there are 6,533 polling stations, of which 6,409 in Croatia and 124 in 47 foreign countries, including 44 in…
