All you need to know about Croatia's second round of elections

Croatian President Zoran Milanović has secured a landslide victory in the country's presidential election on Sunday, January 12, winning over 74% of the vote with a total of 1,122,859 votes.

His opponent, Dragan Primorac, backed by the governing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, garnered only 25% (380,752) of the vote, marking the worst-ever result for Croatia's dominant political force.

Milanović, a vocal critic of the European Union and NATO has been a thorn in the side of the governing party, frequently speaking out against corruption, inflation, and healthcare issues.

Although he condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he has also criticised Western military support for Kyiv.

As president, Milanović's role is largely ceremonial, with the constitution emphasising the importance of remaining impartial and acting as head of state for all citizens.

Despite this, Milanović's victory is seen as a significant blow to the governing HDZ party and may set the stage for continued political tensions.

Milanović's win is also notable given his experience as prime minister of Croatia from 2011 to 2016 and leader of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP) from 2007 to 2016.