President Milanović’s speech after winning the presidential election

Croatia, thank you! Bosnia and Herzegovina, thank you! My thanks to all Croats and Croatian citizens in Croatia and around the world!

This is a big day for me and I see this victory as a recognition or at least approval of my work in the last five years, in a way a vote of confidence from the people. But, in addition, as a plebiscite message from the Croatian political people about the affairs of the state to those who should hear it. And I ask that they listen.

There is another category of our citizens, just like you here, who voted for me, and they did vote for me. I ask for a big round of applause for the members and voters of the HDZ.

In these 20 or so years, I have always done my best to tell the truth. The truth is deep water and sometimes you may not even be aware of it, but it is important that you do not consciously do what we have been hearing the last few months. It was ugly, but it is over now. It is now practically an outstretched hand – at a right angle, completely outstretched – that is my duty to those who hold the executive power in this state and who say they are responsible for 99 percent of things, and the rest of us for the remaining one percent.

And let me say right away, those are my words spoken ten years ago. I actually said them in January 2015 when the then President Grabar-Kitarović defeated our candidate Josipović. It was a little bitter on my part, but it is true. So, the government is the most responsible in this state. And I ask the government to hear that, that is what the message the citizens sent tonight.

This is not support for me, let’s not kid ourselves, no one has the support of 75 percent of voters. That is only at this moment and only today. So once again, greetings to everyone from Batina on the Danube to Premantura, from Sveti Martin na Muri in Međimurje, the northernmost Croatian municipality, to the Croatian Konavle and Prevlaka.

This is a message to those who send messages to me and keep sending them. I will adhere to the Constitution, that is my programme. Whatever you think about it, 75 percent of Croatian voters who expressed their will today – agree with it. They agree with it and I say again – heed the call.

I am not asking for powers, because this is not for the sake of powers, this is for the sake of duty. This is a matter of duty. My duty is to be equal, because that is what the Croatian Constitution says. In matters of foreign policy – equal, which requires cooperation, which requires the convening of the National Security Council that has not been convened for three years, not by my fault. In matters of defence and national security, as the Constitution says, I will be commander-in-chief, so not equal, but the most responsible and highest in rank, because that is what the Constitution says.

In terms of money, whether it’s European money that’s coming and will keep coming for a while – let’s wake up, let’s clear our minds, not for long, this is a chance that should be seized now, it will end – and with our money that we create relatively more or less successfully, dependent on imports and foreign capital and foreign inflows, the government decides on that and has influence on that. The little duty that remains, we must share.

Sharing is a skill and a virtue. Those who want to hoard everything for themselves, people usually send the message they sent them today. Not to me, but to them.

I hope I haven’t talked too much about myself like some do, and I won’t. I’ve had many years of work behind me and I want to believe that today’s outcome – I am repeating myself, but this is an emotional moment for me – is the reaction of our people to that, that they have trust. And trust is hard to gain, and it’s lost in the blink of an eye.

Dear friends, Croatian citizens, Croats in Croatia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina – an important matter, the just, clean and legal fight for your rights does not stop – thank you for your votes. Thanks for the votes of Croatian national minorities, our citizens, comrades in good and bad in Croatia. This is their homeland and will always be their homeland. Their and our Croatia.

I will not announce any letters, any public pressure on the Prime Minister, but we will have to talk. The second round is over, take a look at the scoreboard, where is the scoreboard? That’s the only way, in sports terms, sometimes with a foul, sometimes with a rough start, but never below all criteria.

For the Croatia we want – Faithful to the Homeland! Long live our Croatia! Cheers!     

PHOTO: Domagoj Kunić