Gjorge Ivanov

Ǵorge Ivanov
Ѓорге Иванов
4th President of Macedonia
Assumed office
12 May 2009
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski
Emil Dimitriev (Interim)
Preceded by Branko Crvenkovski
Personal details
Born (1960-05-02) 2 May 1960
Valandovo, Yugoslavia
(now Macedonia)
Political party VMRO-DPMNE
Spouse(s) Maja Ivanova
Alma mater University of Skopje
Religion Macedonian Orthodoxy
Signature
Website Official website

Gjorge Ivanov, also transliterated as Ǵorge (Macedonian: Ѓорге Иванов, pronounced [ˈɟɔrɡɛ ˈivanɔf]; born May 2, 1960), is the President of the Republic of Macedonia, in office since 2009.

Early and personal life

Born at Valandovo, Ivanov finished primary and secondary school in his hometown. He lived there until the age of 27, then moved to the Macedonian capital Skopje, which has since been his permanent residence.[1]

Ivanov is married to Maja Ivanova. Together they have a son named Ivan.[2]

Political and civil society activism

Ivanov has been politically active since the Yugoslav era, when he pushed for political pluralism and market economy. Until 1990 he was an activist in the League of Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia and a member of the last presidency of the organization,[1] where he worked on reforming the political system and promoting political plurality and free market economy.[3]

Ivanov is considered a leading expert on civil society, specializing in political management.[4] He is the founder and honorary president of the Macedonian Political Science Association and one of the founding members of the Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis, a leading analytical centre in the Republic of Macedonia.[4]

Academic career

His professional career began in 1988, when he became an editor at the Macedonian Radio and Television, the national broadcasting station. He later taught political theory and political philosophy at the Law Faculty of the University of Skopje. In 1999, he became a visiting professor for the Southeast European programme at the University of Athens in Greece.[4]

A series of academic appointments followed, including at universities in Bologna and Sarajevo. Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje named him associate professor in 1992 and a full-time professor in 2008. The same year, he became president of the Council for Accreditation in Higher Education in Macedonia.[4]

Published works

President of the Republic of Macedonia

Campaign and election

On 25 January 2009, the strongest party in the Macedonian parliament, VMRO-DPMNE, appointed Ivanov as the party's presidential candidate for the 2009 Macedonian presidential election. 1,016 party delegates voted for his candidacy at the party's convention.[5] Although he was proposed as a candidate by VMRO-DPMNE, he is not a member of the party.[3]

During his campaign, Ivanov announced that if he is going to be elected president, he would "insist on a meeting between the President of the Republic of Macedonia and the President of the Republic of Greece" and that one of his highest priorities is the resolution of the country's long-running name dispute with Greece.[6][7]

In the first round of the 2009 Macedonian presidential election 343,374 (35.06%) citizens of the Republic of Macedonia voted for Ivanov, the second being the candidate of the Social Democrats, Ljubomir Frčkoski, with 20.45% of the votes.[8]

Ivanov won the second round of the presidential election with 453,616 votes; opposition candidate Ljubomir Frčkoski got 264,828 votes.[9]

One day after his election, Ivanov reaffirmed his intention for a meeting to be realized between him and the president of Greece, Karolos Papoulias. He added that he will officialize his invitation just after taking office.[10] After a meeting with the president of the Democratic Union for Integration, Ali Ahmeti, Ivanov announced that he will also include ethnic Albanian intellectuals in his future presidential cabinet.[11]

On 16 April, Ivanov on a ceremony received the presidential certificate from the State Election Commission.[12]

Inauguration

Ivanov took office on 12 May 2009, thereby succeeding Branko Crvenkovski. After taking the oath he held his inauguration speech in the Macedonian parliament and made public his priorities - EU and NATO membership, economic recovery, inner stability, interethnic relations and good relations with the neighboring countries, especially with Greece.[13]

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Crvenkovski, prime minister Nikola Gruevski, the first president of independent Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov, military officials, leaders of the religious communities in Macedonia and foreign ambassadors in the county.

Also, four foreign statesmen were present — the president of Croatia Stjepan Mesić, the president of Serbia Boris Tadić, the president of Montenegro Filip Vujanović and the president of Albania Bamir Topi.[14] Later that day Ivanov held bilateral talks with the four presidents.[15]

The second inauguration of President Ivanov was held on 12 May 2014 in the Macedonian parliament The swearing-in ceremony was attended the prime minister Nikola Gruevski, military officials, leaders of the religious communities in Macedonia and foreign ambassadors in the county.The inauguration was boycotted by the Democratic Union for Integration the largest Albanian political party in the Republic of Macedonia and the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia the largest opposition party in Macedonia.[16]

First term

On the day Ivanov officially became president of his country, he sent a letter to the president of the United States Barack Obama in which he underlines Macedonia's aim to join NATO and EU and to find a "mutually acceptable solution" to the "name difference" with neighboring Greece. He also thanked Obama for his words of support at the 2009 NATO Summit.[17]

One day after the inauguration, Ivanov together with Prime Minister Gruevski travelled to Brussels to meet with European Union and NATO officials.[18][19]

Ivanov claims to promote a Macedonian model of a multi-ethnic society and Pax Europaea, a united Europe living in peace and respecting the diversity and identity of the nations of Europe.[20][21]

Second term

Ivanov was re-elected as President of the Republic of Macedonia for a second term in April 2014.

In March 2016 Ivanov stated that the European Union had failed the Republic of Macedonia and other Balkan countries in the European migrant crisis.[22]

On 12 April 2016 Ivanov halted judicial inquiries into officials involved in a wiretap scandal. Ivanov stated to have done so in the best interest of the country, and to end the political crisis. A move that the opposition called Ivanov's coup d'etat and an effective disagreement to cooperate and find a common ground solution to the problem.[23][24] His own party, the VMRO-DPMNE did not agree with his action. Opposition media called it a political maneuver to prevent further judicial inquiry by the special prosecutor Katica Janeva, proposed by the international community to normalize the political situation. Opposition leader Zoran Zaev subsequently called for protests.[23] A demonstration occurred in Skopje on 13 April, with the presidential offices being attacked by rioters and several people detained.[25]

Awards and honours

Honours

Awards

Professor/doctor honoris causa

University Logo Title Year of awarding
Academy of Public Administration Honorary Doctor 2016
Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University Honorary Doctor [30] 2015
Moscow State University
Honorary Professor 2014
Southwest University
Honorary Professor 2013
Istanbul University
Honorary Doctor 2011
TOBB University of Economics and Technology
Honorary Doctor 2011
Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University Honorary Doctor 2011

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 (Macedonian)
  2. ↑
  3. 1 2 Biography Official website of the President of the Republic of Macedonia
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Gjorge Ivanov - President of Macedonia". Southeast European Times. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  5. ↑ "My Info Agent". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  6. ↑ (Macedonian)
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ (Macedonian)
  9. ↑ (Macedonian)
  10. ↑ (Macedonian)
  11. ↑ (Macedonian)
  12. ↑
  13. ↑
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "My Info Agent". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "Инаугурација на Иванов, ДУИ и СДСМ отсутни". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "My Info Agent". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "My Info Agent". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  19. ↑ (Macedonian)
  20. ↑ Parliamentary Assembly Session: 21 to 25 June 2010 - Address by Gjorge Ivanov
  21. ↑ During the Syrian refugee crisis of 2014-2016, however, he has been an outspoken advocate of anti-Muslim hysteria and bigotry. Ivanov: EU without Balkans, Macedonia like unfinished story
  22. ↑ Nik Martin (11 March 2016). "Germany, EU have failed us, Macedonian president says". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  23. 1 2 "Macedonia President Pardons Politicians Facing Charges". Balkan Insight. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  24. ↑ Kole Casule. "Macedonian president halts wiretap inquiry, opposition brands move a 'coup'". Reuters. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  25. ↑ Protesters throw flares, clash with police, storm presidential HQ in Macedonian capital. RT. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  26. 1 2 "ПРИЗНАНИЈА". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  27. ↑ "Претседателот Иванов во посета на општина Пустец". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  28. ↑ "† Осветени конаците Горни и Источен Палат - Бигорски Манастир". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  29. ↑ http://macedoniaonline.eu/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=22129
  30. ↑ http://president.mk/mk/2011-06-17-09-55-07/2011-09-03-11-36-59/3746.html

External links

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Political offices
Preceded by
Branko Crvenkovski		 President of Macedonia
2009–present 		Incumbent
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