Zoran Milanović

Zoran Milanović, born on October thirtieth, nineteen sixty-six, is a prominent Croatian politician currently serving as the President of Croatia. He first assumed office in January twenty twenty after a successful campaign, and he was re-elected in twenty twenty-five with an impressive seventy-four percent of the vote. Before his presidency, Milanović held the position of Prime Minister from December twenty eleven to January twenty sixteen, and he was the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from two thousand seven until two thousand sixteen.

After completing his studies at the Zagreb Faculty of Law, Milanović began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His early work included serving as an advisor at the Croatian mission to the European Union and NATO in Brussels from nineteen ninety-six to nineteen ninety-nine. He joined the SDP in nineteen ninety-nine and earned a master's degree in European Union law from the Free University of Brussels in nineteen ninety-eight. In June two thousand seven, he became the president of the SDP, succeeding the late Ivica Račan. Under his leadership, the party finished second in the two thousand seven parliamentary elections, but he was re-elected as party leader in two thousand eight.

In twenty eleven, Milanović played a crucial role in forming the Kukuriku Coalition, which united several center to center-left parties. This coalition achieved an absolute majority in the parliamentary elections, leading to his appointment as Prime Minister on December twenty-third, twenty eleven. His administration focused on finalizing Croatia's EU membership and implementing significant reforms, including changes to the tax code and the introduction of the Life Partnership Act, which expanded rights for same-sex couples.

After a challenging term marked by an inconclusive election in twenty fifteen, Milanović was succeeded by Tihomir Orešković in January twenty sixteen. Following a surprising defeat in the September twenty sixteen elections, he briefly withdrew from politics, transitioning to a consulting role, including advising Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. In June twenty nineteen, he announced his candidacy for the presidential election, ultimately winning the runoff in January twenty twenty, making history as the first candidate to receive more votes than an incumbent in the first round.