Croatia's President Milanovic faces off against ruling party candidate

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00:00Zoran Milanovic heads into the presidential race as a great favourite.

00:05Head of state since 2020, the left-wing president is running for a second term.

00:10He's hardened his party line since his last election, throwing around populist rhetoric

00:14to attack Brussels, despite Croatia being a member of the EU and NATO, as well as political

00:19opponents like Prime Minister Andrej Brnkovic.

00:23The Prime Minister's policy is unimaginative.

00:26He lacks ideas and is subservient.

00:28When I say subservient, this is exactly what I mean.

00:31Have you heard in the past seven or eight years that Croatia, the government and executive

00:35authorities pushed back on any resolution that comes from Brussels?

00:39In Croatia, the role of the president is limited.

00:42The head of state cannot veto laws, but leads the country's armed forces and has a say in

00:47foreign policy, defence and security matters.

00:50Zoran Milanovic, who condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine, has also criticised Western

00:55aid to Kiev, whilst making his intentions clear, he wants to keep Croatia out of the

01:00Ukraine conflict.

01:04The ongoing conflict of great powers who are waging bloody wars and the war in Ukraine,

01:09that's not our business and it won't be any of Croatia's business.

01:13Croatian soldiers will not go there.

01:16Zoran Milanovic is currently leading the polls at around 30 percent.

01:20He is poised to enter a run-off against his main right-wing opponent, Dragan Premurac.

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