Polling stations opened in Croatia for the first round of the presidential election on December 29. Among the eight candidates in the race for a five-year term: two favorites, incumbent President Zoran Milanovic, 58, a socialist with increasingly populist leanings, and Dragan Primorac, his main opponent from the conservative right-wing ruling party ( HDZ).
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In Croatiathis is the eighth presidential election since its independence in 1991. The direction of the country is ensured by the Prime Minister, while the president guarantees the functioning and stability of the government, recalls our regional correspondent, Laurent Rouy. Zoran Milanovicsocial democratic Prime Minister from 2011 to 2016, had to give way to right-wing governments. While he became president five years ago, Croats continued to elect right-wing governments in the legislative elections, including in this summer’s vote. Milanovic presented himself in these legislative elections. His training had not carried him away.
According to the polls this time, Milanovic should remain president of Croatia. A paradoxical situation, which suggests that the Croats want to have a social democratic president and a right-wing government at the same time, and have done so regularly for five years. This kind of cohabitation desired by voters, if it is confirmed once again, would leave in the presidency a social democrat with sometimes pro-Russian positions, directly opposed to a rather moderate and Atlanticist right-wing Prime Minister. A situation which has no equivalent in the rest of theEuropean Union.
“ The priority is to defend democracy and the rule of law »
“ The presidential campaign should have focused on three issues which are enshrined in Article 1 of the Croatian Constitution, explains Andjelko Milardovic, political scientist and founder of the Think Tank Institute of European and Global Studies, at the microphone of Jelena Tomic of RFI’s international service. These themes are the rule of law, democracy and the social state, as well as foreign policy subjects which are within the competence of the President of the Republic and taking into account the international situation, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. East.
These subjects will be the main challenges of the next presidential term; they have almost been absent from this campaign. Today in Croatia there is a huge gap between rich and poor, the welfare state has been harmed. Second characteristic to describe the extent to which our country is caught in a vice : demographic collapse and migration.
Nothing has really changed to prevent young people from leaving the country. Another problem is the electoral law which only reinforces this state of confinement and this status quo. Finally, I will mention the controlled media which keeps society and the State in this system of confinement. We come to the key point around which there is no negotiation possible : the priority is to defend democracy and the rule of law. »
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