Vojislav Koštunica
Encyclopedia
Vojislav Koštunica is a 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...

n politician, statesman and the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia
Democratic Party of Serbia
The Democratic Party of Serbia is a political party in Serbia.-Foundation:The Democratic Party of Serbia was founded when a faction of the Democratic Party that supported its involvement in the Democratic Movement of Serbia split from the party and formed their own in 1992.Soon after the March...

. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...

 and serving from 2000 to 2003. He also served two terms as the Prime Minister of Serbia, from 2004 to 2007 and from 2007 to 2008.

Career

Born in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

, Koštunica graduated from the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...

's Law School
University of Belgrade Faculty of Law
The University of Belgrade Faculty of Law , also known as the Belgrade Law School, is one of the first-tier educational institutions of the University of Belgrade, Serbia...

 with a Ph.D.
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

. He lost his job as Professor of Law at that institution in 1974, after criticizing Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...

's communist regime. In 1989, he became one of the founders of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Serbia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Serbia. It is described as a social liberal or social democratic party.-Pre-war history:The Democratic Party was established on 16 February 1919 from unification of Sarajevo parties independent radicals, progressives, liberals and the Serbian part of...

. He left the Democratic Party in July 1992 over opposing views in leadership and formed the Democratic Party of Serbia
Democratic Party of Serbia
The Democratic Party of Serbia is a political party in Serbia.-Foundation:The Democratic Party of Serbia was founded when a faction of the Democratic Party that supported its involvement in the Democratic Movement of Serbia split from the party and formed their own in 1992.Soon after the March...

.

Koštunica is a conservative politician with strong anti-communist views. Supported by both nationalist's and reformers, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia
Democratic Opposition of Serbia
The Democratic Opposition of Serbia was a wide alliance of political parties in Serbia , formed as a coalition against the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia and its leader, Slobodan Milošević in 2000...

 backed him in the presidential election of September 2000. After turbulent events of October 2000, Koštunica was declared the winner of the election and served as president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until February 2003, when the state was replaced by Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...

 and the position he held was abolished. Koštunica opposed the extradition of his predecessor, Slobodan Milošević, and has stated his opposition to the Hague Tribunal several times, refusing in practice to arrest Serbian War criminals sought by that Tribunal.

Following the parliamentary elections in December 2003, in which the DSS emerged as the largest of the pro-western parties, Koštunica became prime minister in March 2004 at the head of the new minority government, albeit with the support of the Socialist Party of Serbia
Socialist Party of Serbia
The Socialist Party of Serbia is officially a democratic socialist political party in Serbia. It is also widely recognized as a de facto Serbian nationalist party, though the party itself does not officially acknowledge this...

. However, as a result of the bad showing of the presidential candidate Dragan Maršićanin
Dragan Maršicanin
Dragan Maršićanin is a Serbian politician. He was the ambassador of Serbia to Switzerland, serving from 2004 to 2009. He was also Serbian Minister of Economy, but his position was put on hold when he decided to run for president in 2004...

 in the Serbian presidential election, 2004
Serbian presidential election, 2004
Serbia held the first round of its 2004 elections for President of Serbia on Sunday, 13 June 2004, and the second round on Sunday, 27 June 2004. Boris Tadić, the pro-western Democratic Party's candidate, was the eventual victor...

, Koštunica announced that fresh parliamentary elections should be expected by the end of the year just following the adoption of a new Constitution.

In 15 May 2007, after a brief crisis in his coalition, he was sworn in for his second term as prime minister.

Koštunica calls himself "fairly close to de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....

"
, in his views.

Kosovo

On 21 February 2008, following Kosovo's declaration of independence, Koštunica made an emotional speech in Belgrade, which included the following:

On 25 February 2008, Koštunica demanded that the United States rescind its recognition of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

, warning that "there will be no stability until the fake state" is annulled.

On 8 March 2008, Koštunica, as Prime Minister of Serbia, called for new elections on 11 May after the collapse of his party's coalition with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Serbia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Serbia. It is described as a social liberal or social democratic party.-Pre-war history:The Democratic Party was established on 16 February 1919 from unification of Sarajevo parties independent radicals, progressives, liberals and the Serbian part of...

 over European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 issues and Kosovo's declaration of independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...

.

European Union

On 4 April 2008, Koštunica stated that EU membership is no longer on agenda for Serbia. He said that before EU accession continuation Serbia and EU must discuss the matter of borders and Serbia’s territorial integrity. He said that Serbia must not by no means sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement
Stabilisation and Association process
In talks with countries who have expressed a wish to join the European Union, the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in that country...

. He referred to the agreement as «Solana
Javier Solana
Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...

's agreement»
.

On 21 April 2008 Koštunica said that the SAA is in the interests of Olli Rehn
Olli Rehn
Olli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs. He had previously served as Commissioner for Enlargement...

 and Javier Solana
Javier Solana
Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...

 and not in Serbia's state interests. He also said that "NATO pact cannot claim that Serbia recognised Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

’s independence with that signature." and that "the only thing the NATO pact will be able to claim is that individual parties signed Solana’s agreement.".

On 27 April 2008 he said that anyone who signed the SAA on behalf of Serbia would become an accomplice to tearing Serbia apart. He also implied there is a cover-up of something in the agreement by saying: "I am convinced every Serbian sees that things are being covered up, and that there is something seriously amiss with the Solana agreement." and he asked "who in Serbia dares to ignore these facts and conceal the real goal of Solana's agreement.".

On 28 April 2008 he said that "the signature will not be valid for Serbia and whoever signs the SAA will have to assume responsibility for such an act".

On 1 May 2008 Koštunica said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov is the Foreign Minister of Russia. Prior to that, Lavrov was a Soviet diplomat and Russia's ambassador to the United Nations from 1994 to 2004. Lavrov speaks Russian, English, French and Sinhala....

 was right when he said that the SAA should have been signed but one day later on 2 May 2008 he vowed to annul the agreement after the election, calling it "a trick", "Solana
Javier Solana
Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...

's agreement" and "the 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...

-Đelić SAA signature". He said he refers to the act of signing of the SAA as anti-Constitutional and anti-state that leads to the breakup of Serbia. Spokesperson of Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia stated that Tadić was putting a seal of Judas of his party coalition to the Solana Agreement by signing it. On 4 May he called the document "a forgery and a trick".

First cabinet (2004–2007)

Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Ivana Dulić-Marković
Ivana Dulic-Markovic
Dr Ivana Dulić-Marković is Serbian politician of Croat ethnicity. She was the Deputy Prime Minister in the Government of Serbia....

 (2004–06)
Goran Živkov
Goran Živkov
Goran Živkov was appointed on June 20, 2006 as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in the Government of Serbia and resigned on October 1 same year...

 (2006-06)
Capital Investment Velimir Ilić
Velimir Ilic
Velimir "Velja" Ilić is Serbian politician and a former Minister of Capital Investments in the Serbian government in the cabinet of Vojislav Koštunica.- Biography :...

Culture Dragan Kojadinović
Dragan Kojadinovic
Dragan Kojadinović was the Serbian Minister of Culture. He graduated from the Department of Yugoslav Literature and Serbian Language at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology. For almost thirty years he has worked as a journalist, and was the first director of the Studio B independent...

Defense Zoran Stanković
Zoran Stankovic
Zoran Stanković is a former Minister of Defence in the Government of Serbia. He served as the Minister of Defence in the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro until the dissolution of Serbia and Montenegro...

 (2006)
Deputy Miroljub Labus
Miroljub Labus
Miroljub Labus is a Serbian economist and politician. Currently he's a University of Belgrade professor, lecturing political economy at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law...

 (2004–06)
Ivana Dulić-Marković
Ivana Dulic-Markovic
Dr Ivana Dulić-Marković is Serbian politician of Croat ethnicity. She was the Deputy Prime Minister in the Government of Serbia....

 (2006-06)
Diaspora Vojislav Vukčević
Vojislav Vukcevic
Vojislav Vukčević was Serbian Minister of the Diaspora.Vukčević was born in 1938 in Osijek in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia , his father being from Montenegro. He graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School and has received a doctoral degree from the University of Novi Sad's Faculty of Law,...

Economy Dragan Maršićanin
Dragan Maršicanin
Dragan Maršićanin is a Serbian politician. He was the ambassador of Serbia to Switzerland, serving from 2004 to 2009. He was also Serbian Minister of Economy, but his position was put on hold when he decided to run for president in 2004...

 (2004-04)
Predrag Bubalo
Predrag Bubalo
Predrag Bubalo became the Minister of Industry and Privatization in the Government of Serbia in October 2004, replacing Dragan Maršićanin. Before that Bubalo was the Minister of International Economic Relations....

Education and Sport Ljiljana Čolić
Ljiljana Colic
Ljiljana Čolić, Ph.D. is a former Minister for Education and Sport in the Government of Serbia.-Personal life and achievements:...

 (2004-04)
Slobodan Vuksanović
Slobodan Vuksanovic
Slobodan Vuksanović is a poet, essayist and translator who served as Minister of Education and Sport in the Government of Serbia from 2004 to 2007....

Energy and Mining Radomir Naumov
Finance Mlađan Dinkić (2004–06)
Foreign Affairs Vuk Drašković
Vuk Draškovic
Vuk Drašković , leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, is a Serbian politician who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Yugoslavia and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of State Union of Serbia and Montenegro and Serbia.He graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School in 1968...

 (2006)
Health Tomica Milosavljević
Tomica Milosavljevic
Tomica Milosavljević, Prof Dr sci is Serbian politician. He was Minister of Health in the Government of Serbia until January 28, 2011...

 (2004–06)
Interior Affairs Dragan Jočić
Dragan Jocic
Dragan Jočić is the former Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica. He was born in Belgrade in 1960....

International Economic Relations Predrag Bubalo
Predrag Bubalo
Predrag Bubalo became the Minister of Industry and Privatization in the Government of Serbia in October 2004, replacing Dragan Maršićanin. Before that Bubalo was the Minister of International Economic Relations....

 (2004-04)
Milan Parivodić
Milan Parivodic
Milan Parivodić Serbian Cyrillic Милан Париводић was the Minister of International Economic Relations in the Government of Serbia and also for a short period the acting Minister of Finance in 2006-07. He graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law. His Ph.D...

Justice Zoran Stojković
Zoran Stojkovic
Zoran Stojković was Serbian Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica....

Labour, Employment and Social Affairs Slobodan Lalović
Slobodan Lalović
Slobodan Lalović is a former Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Policy in Serbia, where he served from 2004-2007....

Public Administration and Local Self-Government Zoran Lončar
Zoran Loncar
Zoran Lončar is the former Serbian Minister of Education and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. He holds a PhD in Law. In 2000 he joined the Democratic Party of Serbia...

Religion Milan Radulović
Milan Radulović
Milan Radulović was the Serbian Minister of Religion. He graduated from the University of Sarajevo on the Faculty of Philosophy but he also received his MA and PhD from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology...

Science and Environmental Protection Aleksandar Popović
Trade, Tourism and Services Bojan Dimitrijević
Secretary-General Dejan Mihajlov
Dejan Mihajlov
Dejan Mihajlov is the former Secretary-General of the Government of Serbia.He was born in 1972 in Pančevo. He graduated from the Faculty of Law...


Second cabinet (2007–2008)

Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Slobodan Milosavljević
Slobodan Milosavljevic
Slobodan St. Milosavljević, PhD is a Serbian economist and politician.-Early life:...

Capital Investment Velimir Ilić
Velimir Ilic
Velimir "Velja" Ilić is Serbian politician and a former Minister of Capital Investments in the Serbian government in the cabinet of Vojislav Koštunica.- Biography :...

Culture Vojislav Brajović
Vojislav Brajovic
-Personal:He is married to actress Milica Mihajlović and they have three children. His son is Vukota Brajović, an actor as well.Vojislav Brajović speaks English.-Filmography:* Balkan ekspres 3 * Zona mrtvih * Žena bez tijela...

Defence Dragan Šutanovac
Dragan Šutanovac
Dragan Šutanovac is the current Minister of Defence in the Government of Serbia.- Background :...

Environmental Protection Saša Dragin
Saša Dragin
Saša Dragin is a Serbian politician and former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in the Government of Serbia . He was previously the Minister of Environmental Protection.- Biography :...

European Integrations Božidar Đelić
Diaspora Milica Čubrilo
Milica Cubrilo
Milica Čubrilo - Filipović was the Minister for Diaspora in Government of Serbia between 2007 and 2008. She was succeeded by Srđan Srećković. In May 2010, she was appointed Serbian Ambassador to Tunisia.-Biography:She was born in Carthage, Tunisia in 1969...

Economy and Regional Development Mlađan Dinkić
Education Zoran Lončar
Zoran Loncar
Zoran Lončar is the former Serbian Minister of Education and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. He holds a PhD in Law. In 2000 he joined the Democratic Party of Serbia...

Energy and Mining Aleksandar Popović
Finance Mirko Cvetković
Mirko Cvetkovic
Mirko Cvetković is a Serbian economist and the Prime Minister of Serbia as well as the Minister of Finance.-Biography:...

Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremić
Vuk Jeremic
Vuk Jeremić is a Serbian politician and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Serbia. He was sworn in on May 15, 2007 and reelected on July 7, 2008.-Education:Jeremić was born in Belgrade in 1975 to Miško Jeremić and Sena Buljubašić...

Health Tomica Milosavljević
Tomica Milosavljevic
Tomica Milosavljević, Prof Dr sci is Serbian politician. He was Minister of Health in the Government of Serbia until January 28, 2011...

Interior Affairs Dragan Jočić
Dragan Jocic
Dragan Jočić is the former Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica. He was born in Belgrade in 1960....

Justice Dušan Petrović
Dušan Petrovic
Dušan Petrović is a Serbian politician, a long-time member of Democratic Party and the current Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management...

Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardžić
Slobodan Samardžic
Slobodan Samardžić is a Serbian academic and politician, and the former Minister for Kosovo-Metohija in the Government of Serbia succeeded by Goran Bogdanović.- Biography :...

Labour and Social Policy Rasim Ljajić
Rasim Ljajic
Rasim Ljajić is the current Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Affairs of Serbia since 15 May 2007. He is a medical graduate. He is the President of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, elected on 21 January 2007 on the list of the Democratic Party in the parliament, where it has three...

National Investment Plan Dragan Đilas
Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Marković
Milan Markovic
Milan Marković is a Serbian lawyer, professor and politician. He is the Minister of Human and Minority Rights, Public Administration and Local Self-Government in the Government of Serbia. He was president of the Palilula municipality from 2000 to 2004. He has been an MP in Serbian Parliament since...

Religion Radomir Naumov
Science Ana Pešikan
Ana Pešikan
Ana Pešikan is the former Minister of Science in Government of Serbia.- Biography :Pešikan graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, in 1981, and received her MA and PhD degrees in 1990 and 2000 respectively...

Telecommunications and Information Society Aleksandra Smiljanić
Aleksandra Smiljanic
Aleksandra Smiljanić was the Minister of Telecommunications and Information Society in the Government of Serbia between 2007 and 2008 succeeded by Jasna Matić.- Biography :...

Trade and Services Predrag Bubalo
Predrag Bubalo
Predrag Bubalo became the Minister of Industry and Privatization in the Government of Serbia in October 2004, replacing Dragan Maršićanin. Before that Bubalo was the Minister of International Economic Relations....

Youth and Sports Snežana Samardžić-Marković
Snežana Samardžic-Markovic
Snežana Samardžić-Marković is Minister of Youth and Sports in the Government of Serbia.- Biography :Samardžić-Marković graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology and is working on her MA thesis at the Faculty of Drama Arts...

Secretary-General Dejan Mihajlov
Dejan Mihajlov
Dejan Mihajlov is the former Secretary-General of the Government of Serbia.He was born in 1972 in Pančevo. He graduated from the Faculty of Law...

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