Zagreb, 29 December 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Croatia heads to the polls on Sunday to vote in presidential elections, with incumbent Zoran Milanović favoured to win.

Some 3.8 million citizens are eligible to vote in the Balkan country, a member of the European Union.

According to the latest polls, Milanović is significantly ahead but not expected to secure over 50% of the vote, meaning a run-off election on January 12 is likely.

The former Social Democrat has, during his five-year term in office, successfully appealed to right-wing voters with populist rhetoric.

Surveys indicate that the candidate from the conservative ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Dragan Primorac, is also expected to qualify for the run-off.

Partial results are expected late on Sunday evening.