Gjorgje Ivanov
Encyclopedia
Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, also transliterated as Ǵorge ' onMouseout='HidePop("1698")' href="/topics/Valandovo">Valandovo
, SR Macedonia, Yugoslavia
), is the president
of the Republic of Macedonia
.
, which has since been his permanent residence.
His professional career kicked off in 1988, when he became an editor at Macedonian Radio and Television, the national broadcasting station. He later taught political theory and political philosophy at the Law Faculty in Skopje. In 1999, he became a visiting professor for the Southeast European programme at the University of Athens in Greece.
A series of academic appointments followed, including at universities in Bologna and Sarajevo. Sts. Cyril and Methodius University named him associate professor in 1992 and full professor in 2008. The same year, he became president of the Council for Accreditation in Higher Education in Macedonia.
Ivanov has been politically active since the Yugoslav era, when he pushed for political pluralism and a market economy. 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 Macedonia.
Until 1990 he was an activist in the League of Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia and a member of the last presidency of the organization, where he worked on reforming the political system and promoting political plurality and free market economy.
Ivanov is considered a leading expert on civil society, specializing in political management.
, conservative 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. Although he was proposed as a candidate by VMRO-DPMNE, he is not a member of the party.
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
.
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.
Ivanov won the second round of the presidential election with 453,616 votes; opposition candidate Ljubomir Frčkoski got 264,828 votes.
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. 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.
On 16 April, Ivanov on a ceremony received the presidential certificate from the State Election Commission.
. 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
.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Crvenkovski, prime minister
Nikola Gruevski
, the first president of independent 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
. Later that day Ivanov held bilateral talks with the four presidents.
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 differences with neighboring Greece
. He also thanked Obama for his words of support at the 2009 NATO Summit.
One day after the inauguration, Ivanov together with prime minister Gruevski travelled to Brussels
to meet with European Union and NATO officials.
The two main visions, which Gjorge Ivanov promotes as president is the 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.
on the occasion of his state visit to Albania.
Valandovo
Valandovo is a city in southeastern Republic of Macedonia.The city is the seat of Valandovo Municipality.-Ancient History:Evidence of life can be found beginning in the 10th-7th centuries B.C. There is a settlement known as Mal Konstantinopol dating from Roman times, and the life in the Middle...
, SR Macedonia, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
), is the president
President of the Republic of Macedonia
The President of the Republic of Macedonia is the head of state of the Republic of Macedonia. The institution of the Presidency of the modern Republic of Macedonia began after the Macedonian declaration of independence on 8 September 1991. Its first president was Kiro Gligorov, the oldest president...
of the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
Early life
Ivanov finished primary and secondary school in his hometown of Valandovo. He lived there until the age of 27, then moved to the Macedonian capital SkopjeSkopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, which has since been his permanent residence.
His professional career kicked off in 1988, when he became an editor at Macedonian Radio and Television, the national broadcasting station. He later taught political theory and political philosophy at the Law Faculty in Skopje. In 1999, he became a visiting professor for the Southeast European programme at the University of Athens in Greece.
A series of academic appointments followed, including at universities in Bologna and Sarajevo. Sts. Cyril and Methodius University named him associate professor in 1992 and full professor in 2008. The same year, he became president of the Council for Accreditation in Higher Education in Macedonia.
Ivanov has been politically active since the Yugoslav era, when he pushed for political pluralism and a market economy. 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 Macedonia.
Until 1990 he was an activist in the League of Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia and a member of the last presidency of the organization, where he worked on reforming the political system and promoting political plurality and free market economy.
Ivanov is considered a leading expert on civil society, specializing in political management.
Campaign & election
On 25 January 2009, the strongest party in the Macedonian parliamentAssembly of the Republic of Macedonia
The Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia, the Assembly , has 123 members, elected for a four year term, by proportional representation from 6 electoral districts, each contributing 20 MPs.- Result :...
, conservative VMRO-DPMNE, appointed Ivanov as the party's presidential candidate for the 2009 Macedonian presidential election
Macedonian presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in the Republic of Macedonia on 22 March 2009, at the same time as local elections; a run-off round was held on 5 April 2009. Gjorge Ivanov , the candidate of the center-right VMRO–DPMNE party, won the election in the second round...
. 1,016 party delegates voted for his candidacy at the party's convention. Although he was proposed as a candidate by VMRO-DPMNE, he is not a member of the party.
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
President of the Republic of Macedonia
The President of the Republic of Macedonia is the head of state of the Republic of Macedonia. The institution of the Presidency of the modern Republic of Macedonia began after the Macedonian declaration of independence on 8 September 1991. Its first president was Kiro Gligorov, the oldest president...
and the President of the Republic of Greece
President of Greece
The President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the head of state of Greece. The office of the President of the Republic was established after the Greek republic referendum, 1974 and formally by the Constitution of Greece in 1975. The...
" and that one of his highest priorities is the resolution of the country's long-running name dispute with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
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
Social Democratic Union of Macedonia
The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia is a centre-left political party in the Macedonia.It is the successor of the League of Communists of Macedonia, the ruling party during the communist regime which ruled SR Macedonia as a constituent republic of SFR Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990. The current...
, Ljubomir Frčkoski
Ljubomir Frčkoski
Professor Ljubomir Danailov Frčkoski is a Macedonian politician and former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia for the 2009 Macedonian presidential election...
, with 20.45% of the votes.
Ivanov won the second round of the presidential election with 453,616 votes; opposition candidate Ljubomir Frčkoski got 264,828 votes.
One day after his election, Ivanov reaffirmed his intention for a meeting to be realized between him and the president of Greece, Karolos Papoulias
Karolos Papoulias
-Honours:*Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic *Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav *Knight of the Order of the Elephant- External links :*...
. He added that he will officialize his invitation just after taking office. After a meeting with the president of the Democratic Union for Integration
Democratic Union for Integration
The Democratic Union for Integration is the largest Albanian political party in the Republic of Macedonia, and the third largest political party in all of Macedonia...
, Ali Ahmeti
Ali Ahmeti
Ali Ahmeti is the political leader of the Democratic Union for Integration , a governing political party in Republic of Macedonia...
, Ivanov announced that he will also include ethnic Albanian intellectuals in his future presidential cabinet.
On 16 April, Ivanov on a ceremony received the presidential certificate from the State Election Commission.
Inauguration
Ivanov took office on 12 May 2009, thereby succeeding Branko CrvenkovskiBranko Crvenkovski
Branko Crvenkovski leads the Republic of Macedonia's largest opposition party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia. He was Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2002 to 2004, then President of the Republic of Macedonia from 2004 to 2009.Crvenkovski was...
. After taking the oath he held his inauguration speech in the Macedonian parliament
Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
The Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia, the Assembly , has 123 members, elected for a four year term, by proportional representation from 6 electoral districts, each contributing 20 MPs.- Result :...
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
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Crvenkovski, prime minister
Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia is the head of government of the Republic of Macedonia. He or she is the leader of a political coalition in the Macedonian parliament and the leader of the cabinet...
Nikola Gruevski
Nikola Gruevski
Nikola Gruevski has been Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia since 27 August 2006. He has led VMRO-DPMNE since May 2003. He was Minister of Finance in the VMRO-DPMNE government led by Ljubčo Georgievski until September 2002.- Personal life :...
, the first president of independent Macedonia Kiro Gligorov
Kiro Gligorov
Kiro Gligorov , born May 3, 1917) was the first democratically elected President of the Republic of Macedonia. His son Vladimir Gligorov is the refounder of the Serbian Democratic Party.- Biography :...
, military officials
Military of the Republic of Macedonia
The Army of the Republic of Macedonia is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Macedonia. The Macedonian military is a defence force consisting of an army ; an air force ; and a professional military unit, the Macedonian Special Forces .- Objectives :The national defence...
, leaders of the religious communities in Macedonia and foreign ambassadors in the county.
Also, four foreign statesmen were present - the president
President of Croatia
The President of Croatia , officially styled the President of the Republic represents the Republic of Croatia in the country and abroad as the head of state, maintains the regular and coordinated operation and stability of the national government system, and safeguards the independence and...
of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
Stjepan Mesić
Stjepan Mesić
Stjepan "Stipe" Mesić is a Croatian politician and former President of Croatia. Before his ten-year presidential term between 2000 and 2010 he held the posts of Speaker of the Croatian Parliament , Prime Minister of Croatia , the last President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia , Secretary General...
, the president
President of Serbia
The President of Serbia is the head of state of Serbia. Presently serving as the head of state is Boris Tadić. He was elected with a narrow majority of 50.31% in the 2008 Serbian presidential elections.-Authority, legal and constitutional rights:...
of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
, the president
President of Montenegro
-Presidents of Montenegro:-See also:*President of Serbia and Montenegro*President of Yugoslavia*List of Presidents of Montenegro*Prime Minister of Montenegro-External links:*...
of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
Filip Vujanović
Filip Vujanovic
Filip Vujanović is a Montenegrin politician who, since 2003, has served as the President of Montenegro. He is the first President of Montenegro since it split ties with Serbia and became an independent nation in June 2006...
and the president of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
Bamir Topi
Bamir Topi
Bamir Myrteza Topi is the fifth and current President of Albania since 24 July 2007. He was also Honorary President of Albanian football club KF Tirana from 2005 to 2007.-Early life and public activities:...
. Later that day Ivanov held bilateral talks with the four presidents.
President of Macedonia
On the day Ivanov officially became president of his country, he sent a letter to the presidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in which he underlines Macedonia's aim to join NATO and EU and to find a "mutually acceptable solution" to the name differences with neighboring Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He also thanked Obama for his words of support at the 2009 NATO Summit.
One day after the inauguration, Ivanov together with prime minister Gruevski travelled to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
to meet with European Union and NATO officials.
The two main visions, which Gjorge Ivanov promotes as president is the Macedonian model of a multi-ethnic society and Pax Europaea, a united Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
living in peace and respecting the diversity and identity of the nations of Europe.
Honours and awards
: On 18 March 2011 received a copy of the key of the city of TiranaTirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
on the occasion of his state visit to Albania.
Books
- Цивилно општество (Civil Society)
- Демократијата во поделените општества: македонскиот модел (Democracy in the divided societes: the Macedonian Model)
- Современи политички теории (Current political theories)
- Политички теории - Антика (Political theories - Antiquity)