Rudolf Schuster
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Schuster was the second President of Slovakia
(1999–2004). He was elected on 29 May 1999 and inaugurated on 15 June. Schuster was defeated in the presidential elections of April 2004, in which he ran as an independent. He received 7.4% of the vote, with three other candidates (Ivan Gašparovič
, Vladimír Mečiar
and Eduard Kukan
) receiving more than that. He was succeeded by Ivan Gašparovič.
From 1964 to 1990, Schuster was a member of the Communist Party of Slovakia
. Before becoming president, he was a mayor (Slovak: primátor) of Košice
in 1983–1986 and 1994–1999 respectively. He was also the last Communist president of the Slovak National Council
(1989–1990), an ambassador of Czechoslovakia in Canada (1990–1992) and a leader of the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP – Strana občianskeho porozumenia, 1998–1999).
He speaks Slovak, Czech
, German, Russian, English and Hungarian
fluently.
Schuster‘s father's family is of Carpathian German origin, while his mother's family is of Hungarian origin. Rudolf Schuster was married to Irena Schusterová (died 2008) and he has two children (son and daughter) and two granddaughters. In his private life, he is a sports fan, a traveller and a writer. He is also a camera fan.
In 1998 he found the centre-left Party of Civic Understanding (SOP – Strana občianskeho porozumenia).
In 1999 he received honorary citizenship from Miskolc
, as recognition of the good cooperation between the city and Košice during his mayorship.
In 2004 Schuster took participation in the Slovakia presidential election, 2004 and scored 7,4% of the votes. This score became the world anti-record of an incumbernt president support; this anti-record was beaten in 2010
by Viktor Yuschenko, president of Ukraine
.
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Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
(1999–2004). He was elected on 29 May 1999 and inaugurated on 15 June. Schuster was defeated in the presidential elections of April 2004, in which he ran as an independent. He received 7.4% of the vote, with three other candidates (Ivan Gašparovič
Ivan Gašparovic
Ivan Gašparovič is a Slovak politician and law professor who has been the President of Slovakia since 15 June 2004. He is also the first Slovak president to be re-elected.-Biography:...
, Vladimír Mečiar
Vladimír Meciar
Vladimír Mečiar is a Slovak politician who was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1990 to 1991, from 1992 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1998. He is the leader of the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
and Eduard Kukan
Eduard Kukan
Eduard Kukan served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia from 1998 to 2006. He was a candidate in the presidential election held on 3 April 2004, and although pre-election polls had suggested he would come in first, he actually came in third behind former prime minister Vladimír Mečiar and...
) receiving more than that. He was succeeded by Ivan Gašparovič.
From 1964 to 1990, Schuster was a member of the Communist Party of Slovakia
Communist Party of Slovakia
The Communist Party of Slovakia is a communist party in Slovakia, formed in 1992, through the merger of the Communist Party of Slovakia – 91 and the Communist League of Slovakia.According to Luboš Blaha the KSS supported the government of Robert Fico....
. Before becoming president, he was a mayor (Slovak: primátor) of Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
in 1983–1986 and 1994–1999 respectively. He was also the last Communist president of the Slovak National Council
Slovak National Council
The Slovak National Council is the name of different types of supreme bodies in the history of Slovakia. They existed within the Kingdom of Hungary, Czechoslovakia or the Slovak Republic or were bodies of Slovak exiles:...
(1989–1990), an ambassador of Czechoslovakia in Canada (1990–1992) and a leader of the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP – Strana občianskeho porozumenia, 1998–1999).
He speaks Slovak, Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, German, Russian, English and Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
fluently.
Schuster‘s father's family is of Carpathian German origin, while his mother's family is of Hungarian origin. Rudolf Schuster was married to Irena Schusterová (died 2008) and he has two children (son and daughter) and two granddaughters. In his private life, he is a sports fan, a traveller and a writer. He is also a camera fan.
In 1998 he found the centre-left Party of Civic Understanding (SOP – Strana občianskeho porozumenia).
In 1999 he received honorary citizenship from Miskolc
Miskolc
Miskolc is a city in northeastern Hungary, mainly with heavy industrial background. With a population close to 170,000 Miskolc is the fourth largest city of Hungary It is also the county capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and the regional centre of Northern Hungary.- Geography :Miskolc is located...
, as recognition of the good cooperation between the city and Košice during his mayorship.
In 2004 Schuster took participation in the Slovakia presidential election, 2004 and scored 7,4% of the votes. This score became the world anti-record of an incumbernt president support; this anti-record was beaten in 2010
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
by Viktor Yuschenko, president of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Honours and awards
- Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King TomislavGrand Order of King TomislavThe Grand Order of King Tomislav , or more fully the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star , is the highest state order of the Republic of Croatia...
("For outstanding contribution to the promotion of friendship and development co-operation between the Republic of Croatia and the Slovak Republic." – Zagreb, 2 October 2001) - Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicOrder of Merit of the Italian RepublicThe Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
(28 June 2002) - Order of the White Eagle (Poland, 2002)
See also
- List of Presidents of Slovakia
- Slovakia presidential election, 1999Slovak presidential election, 1999The 1999 presidential election was held in Slovakia on May 15 and May 29 1999. In the second round, Rudolf Schuster was elected President of Slovakia.This has been the first direct presidential election ever in Slovakia...
- Slovakia presidential election, 2004
- List of leaders of Slovak parliaments
- List of political parties in Slovakia
External links
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