Milanović Won't Run for Prime Minister
The President of the Republic has abandoned his candidacy for Parliament but plans to reward close associates with lucrative positions at Pantovčak until the end of his term in 2030.
The President of the Republic has abandoned his candidacy for Parliament but plans to reward close associates with lucrative positions at Pantovčak until the end of his term in 2030.
President Zoran Milanović has definitively decided not to run in the 2028 parliamentary elections and enter a direct battle for the prime minister's position with Andrej Plenković. Although he publicly made a similar statement a few weeks ago in Paris, this time he confirmed his decision among his closest friends and associates, extinguishing the hopes of those who had already envisioned themselves on his independent list.
"Oh, mate, what do I need that hassle for? I'll be nearly 64 when I leave Pantovčak in 2030. I couldn't care less about Plenković; he'll fail ingloriously anyway due to inflation and who knows what scandal. I can't be bothered anymore. More precisely, hashtag can't-be-bothered," Milanović told a friend this week, ironically referring to his own gaffe from his prime ministerial days with the hashtag #nedamise.
Although he is dropping out of the race for prime minister, Milanović has no intention of resting. As he explained to a source from his inner circle, he will focus on topics where he sees the most room for political confrontation. "I'll keep roasting the Fat One (Plenković) over the fire with topics like the military, the General Staff, and armaments, but as for going to debates and dealing with aggregate demand, no chance," Dnevno.hr reports the president's words.
He also shared this information at one of the informal gatherings with associates at Pantovčak, which included Chief of Staff Orsat Miljenić, spokesperson Nikola Jelić, associate Nikša Peronja, and Head of Cabinet Bartol Šimunić. According to sources, the news was met with undisguised disappointment, as many of them had already seen themselves in high government positions.
To avoid alienating loyal associates, Milanović has decided to use the maneuvering space provided by the Office of the President. Although the systematization allows for a maximum of 191 employees, there are currently around 170, leaving about twenty vacant positions. Additionally, the president can independently create new advisory roles, as long as they fit within the approved budget of 9.8 million euros from last year.
Milanović currently has nine advisory positions at the highest level, with salaries for such roles ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 euros. A telling example is the education advisor Jadranka Žarković, a friend of First Lady Sanja Musić Milanović, who earns at least 3,800 euros per month and has not publicly uttered a word during her term. Similar well-paid and discreet positions could go to former ministers like Gordan Maras and Željko Jovanović, as well as Siniša Petrović, or even Chief of the General Staff Tihomir Kundid, should he be forced to leave that post.
For Orsat Miljenić, in whom Milanović has the most trust, there is also the possibility of becoming a future candidate for prime minister from the SDP, if Siniša Hajdaš Dončić is replaced. If Hajdaš Dončić remains, Miljenić is offered the position of Minister of Justice or Deputy Prime Minister without portfolio, as a sort of Milanović's man in the executive branch.
While Milanović turns to staffing, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković marked the anniversary of the military-police operation Storm. On social media, he posted several messages highlighting the role of the first president Franjo Tuđman and Croatian veterans. "More than three decades ago, Croatian veterans, soldiers, and police officers, under the leadership of the first president Franjo Tuđman, achieved the greatest victory in the Homeland War," Plenković wrote on August 5, 2026.
In another post, he emphasized that Operation Storm was a "brilliant military victory, a legitimate liberation operation, and the crowning achievement of Croatia's fight for freedom." He particularly highlighted investments in the modernization of the Croatian military, listing systems such as Rafale, Black Hawk, Leopard, CAESAR, HIMARS, and Bayraktar. "Croatia is not competing with anyone in armaments. We do not threaten anyone, but we are not afraid of anyone. We will know how to respond to any threat," the Prime Minister stated.
