Zagreb, 10 January 2025 (Hina/MIA) — World news agencies, in their coverage of the second round of the Croatian presidential election, predict an almost certain victory for Zoran Milanović. Some frame the contest between Milanović and his opponent, Dragan Primorac, as a clash between a populist and a scientist.

The Austrian news agency APA writes that following Milanović's "dominant" victory in the first round, with 49.09% of the vote compared to Primorac's 19.35%, a "triumph" for the incumbent president is also expected in the runoff, with "the only question being by what margin."

APA reports that Croatian political analysts agree in forecasting Milanović’s victory and that the ruling HDZ, the largest party backing the independent candidate Primorac, is "struggling to reduce the gap from the first round" to soften the blow ahead of local elections in May.

The agency notes that the HDZ has mobilised its "entire party machinery" for the second round, including instructions via WhatsApp for party members to bring three other voters to the polls on Sunday to support Primorac.

"According to political observers, the low number of votes in the first round showed that Primorac failed to even convince all HDZ voters," APA writes, mentioning the "heated and highly personal debate" between the two candidates, during which Primorac accused the president of having a "pro-Russian and pro-Serbian stance" and "supporting Hamas," while Milanović criticised his opponent for friendships with "mass murderers" such as the Israeli leadership.

The Slovenian agency STA writes that Primorac improved his performance during the final week of the campaign, but that it would not be enough to defeat the "heavyweight" Milanović. STA reports that Croatian political analysts view the first-round results as a significant defeat for Primorac, as well as for the HDZ and its leader, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

Analysts believe Primorac was a poor choice for a presidential candidate because he leans too far to the right, arguing that only a centrist politician, such as former finance minister Zdravko Marić, could have posed a serious challenge to Milanović.

STA also notes that Plenković expressed dissatisfaction with the first-round results, quoting his remark that Primorac was the only one who agreed to run as a candidate, which Croatian media interpreted as the prime minister distancing himself from his candidate.

STA highlights that Primorac prepared well for the debate, which was his best performance of the campaign. He moved from defence to offense, throwing Milanović off his usual strategy of calmer rhetoric and avoiding confrontation, causing him to "lose his temper and show his old self."

"Populist versus scientist" is the headline of Agence France-Presse's article about Sunday's election.

The French agency describes the two candidates as "almost polar opposites." "One is a former amateur boxer and shrewd political veteran whose populist messages resonate with supporters, while the other is an academic and scientist striving to make an impact."

AFP describes Milanović as a smart and motivated politician but often arrogant and quick-tempered. In recent years, he has increasingly relied on populist and often offensive rhetoric to criticise the EU and local officials, it adds.

The agency highlights that Milanović has pledged to be a shield against the complete dominance of the HDZ and his "longtime rival" Plenković.

Regarding Primorac, AFP notes that he is a pediatrician and an expert in genetics and forensics, celebrated as a pioneer of DNA analysis in Croatia who helped identify war victims from the 1990s.

However, the French agency criticises Primorac for his lack of "political charisma" and notes that, despite the HDZ's support, he has failed to mobilise the party's base fully behind him.

Beyond the outlets mentioned, the second round of the election has not garnered significant attention from other global media, except for Politico, which reported yesterday on an alleged pro-Russian "disinformation campaign" on social media aimed at supporting the "anti-NATO" presidential candidate Milanović.