Zoran Milanovic, the sitting president of Croatia, narrowly missed the threshold for direct re-election in the first round of presidential voting, garnering just over 49% of the votes. He will compete against conservative candidate Dragan Primorac in a second round, after Primorac received over 19%. Milanovic emphasized the need for caution and focus moving forward, as the presidential role is largely ceremonial but influential in foreign and military policy. Tensions exist between Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic over Croatia’s stance on foreign issues, particularly regarding support for Ukraine.