Dragan Primorac Surpasses Signature Threshold for Croatian Election

The news in Croatian

Translation

The Croatian presidential campaign is becoming increasingly active. Dragan Primorac from the HDZ party has gathered over 25,000 signatures and is grateful to the citizens for their support. The election is scheduled for 29th December. He criticises the current president and promises stability. Other candidates, such as Zoran Milanović and Ivana Kekin, are also collecting signatures. The election is interesting and diverse.

Exercise: Text comprehension

Question 1: Who is Dragan Primorac thankful to for their support?

He is thankful to the citizens for their support.

Question 2: When will the Croatian elections take place?

The elections will take place on December 29th.

Exercise: Vocabulary

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▌30/11/2024

The Croatian presidential campaign is gaining momentum as candidates work tirelessly to meet the requirements to officially enter the race. Among them, Dragan Primorac, backed by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and its coalition, has already collected more than 25,000 signatures within the first few hours of signature gathering. This greatly exceeds the legal requirement of 10,000 signatures, cementing his candidacy for the upcoming elections.

During an interview on a central news program, Primorac expressed his gratitude towards the citizens who supported his candidacy. He stated, "I have incredible support, and I thank all those wonderful people who believe in a better Croatia. This change must happen, and the current president will not remain in office after February next year." Primorac underlined that the real test would be on December 29, reference to the election date, drawing parallels with unexpected election results such as Donald Trump’s victory in the US.

Primorac's campaign promises include a focus on political stability, cooperation among all political players, and enhancing Croatia’s international reputation. He expressed criticism towards the current president, Zoran Milanović, for attempting to play both the leader and opposition. Promising to be a unifying leader, Primorac vowed to work constructively with the government but pledged to offer criticism when necessary.

Dragan Primorac Surpasses Signature Threshold for Croatian Election (Illustration)

Meanwhile, the signature collection process has highlighted various issues. Boris Jokić of the Institute for Social Research humorously commented on how long it would take him to gather signatures, suggesting an increase to 25,000 would make the race more interesting. Jokić also remarked on the candidates' lack of authenticity when engaging in public disputes, noting they are less confrontational behind the scenes.

President Zoran Milanović, who began his signature collection in Čakovec, has stated that this campaign would be his 'last tango.' He expressed confidence in his supporter base, hoping to secure another mandate. Other candidates such as Ivana Kekin of the Možemo party and Marija Selak Raspudić, an independent candidate, have also started gathering signatures. Each candidate brings distinct agendas, from tackling issues like migration to emphasizing uniting the Croatian spirit.

As the presidential race intensifies, Croatian voters have until December 18 to verify and amend their voter registry information. This period of the campaign is crucial, offering candidates the chance to showcase their platforms and appeal to the electorate. The diversity among candidates this year promises an engaging election, with varying personalities and political standpoints competing for the presidency.

Info: "Croatian Learner News" is a service from "Let's Learn Croatian", a language school dedicated to teaching Croatian. We provide various types of online courses tailored for all levels, including those just starting with Croatian for beginners.

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