Zagreb, 12 January 2025 (Hina/dpa/MIA) — Croatia's incumbent President Zoran Milanović has secured a second term in office with a clear lead in Sunday's presidential runoff in Croatia, according to the Croatian State Electoral Commission.

After it processed returns from 83.45% polling stations, the Croatian SEC said Milanović, backed by the opposition Socialist Democrat Party of Croatia, won the runoff garnering 73.94% of the vote.

Zoran Primorac, supported by the conservative ruling party HDZ, mustered 26.06% of the vote. According to the incomplete results, Milanović won 821,709 ballots and his rival 289,660.

Earlier, an exit poll by the state broadcaster HRT suggested Milanović, a Social Democrat, would win 78% of votes, and his challenger 22%.

Milanović had already dominated the first round of the presidential election on Dec. 29 of last year, winning 49% of the vote in that round.

If he had managed to get over 50%, he would have won the race back then.

Primorac only managed to get 19% of the vote, a rather embarrassing result for the ruling HDZ party of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

Milanović was prime minister of the country from 2011 to 2016. As president, he adopted a populist rhetoric and a casual style during his five-year term.

This appeals not only to his left-wing core voters, but also to right-wing and ultra-right voters.