Second round of elections in Croatia: HDZ's Primorac cannot catch up with Milanović

(Patria) - Political scientists Berto Šalaj from the Faculty of Political Science and Jakov Žižić from the Catholic University of Croatia analyzed the results of yesterday's presidential elections this morning on the Croatian Radio show "U mreži Prvog", agreeing on the low probability of a turnaround in the second round.

Advancing to the second round were the incumbent president and candidate of the SDP and its partners, Zoran Milanović, with 49.09 percent of the vote, and the candidate of the HDZ and its partners, Dragan Primorac, with 19.35 percent.

Šalaj said the results were expected, but that such a large gap between the two candidates was quite unexpected - over 400,000 more votes for Zoran Milanović.

- From that perspective, this is a clear victory for Zoran Milanović - less for the SDP, more for Zoran Milanović above all - and a defeat for Dragan Primorac, but also for the HDZ and Andrej Plenković, said Šalaj.

- For me, it would be a great miracle if Dragan Primorac managed to reverse this result, he added.

Žižić also said it is very difficult to expect a change after such a gap, although it would be irresponsible to say it is over.

Šalaj said the HDZ is the strongest and most organized Croatian party, but that in these elections they had difficulty mobilizing their loyal voter base.

- I am not sure if the HDZ can pull some surprise out of the hat, he added.

Žižić said Primorac proved to be a very weak candidate for the HDZ.

- I think there were certainly better choices for the HDZ's presidential candidate, he said.

He added that he believes, for example, Defense Minister Ivan Anušić would have achieved a better result and mobilized the HDZ's voter base more, but that the Prime Minister and HDZ leader Andrej Plenković opted for something that is quite comfortable for him and will not threaten his position within the party.

Šalaj said it was not easy for the HDZ and Plenković to choose a candidate, noting that since 2000, a candidate from the party in power at the national level has never won the presidential elections.

- In my opinion, no HDZ candidate would have had a chance against Milanović, but I agree that another candidate, a more qualified candidate, would probably have achieved a much better result, he added.

Some of the opposing candidates called on their voters to support Milanović in the second round. Ivana Kekin did so.