Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic has a big lead in the first round of the country's presidential elections, exit polls showed on Sunday.

According to polls published by state broadcaster HRT and Nove TV, Milanovic is on course to win 51.48% of the vote, which would secure a victory without going to the runoff on January 12. His closest rival Dragan Primorac of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union is set to be in second place with 19.29%, followed by independent candidate Marija Selak Raspudic at 8,84%.

The polls also showed that fewer voters took part in the election than in the last presidential election in 2019.