Croatian President Zoran Milanovic won a second term in the largely ceremonial post, a preliminary result based on vote count in 98.65% of the polling stations showed.
Milanovic of the opposition Social Democratic Party was on track to win Sunday’s presidential election with 74.58 per cent of votes, according to the state election commission vote count.
Dragan Primorac of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won 25.42 per cent.
Turnout in the NATO and European Union member state was 44.15 per cent of the voters, preliminary results showed.
“Croatia, thank you,” Milanovic told his supporters.
“This is a big day for me personally, and I view this victory as recognition for my work, a kind of act of people’s trust in me.”
Earlier in the day, after casting his ballot in the capital Zagreb, Milanovic told reporters: “In the past five years I did my job in the best faith and I hope that people have seen that.”
The Croatian head of state cannot veto laws but has a say in foreign policy, defence and security matters.
During his term, Milanovic, a populist former prime minister, has confronted Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic over foreign and public policies, with the two frequently trading insults.
