Vojislav Koštunica

Infobox President
name = Vojislav Koštunica
Војислав Коштуница
honorific-suffix =
PhD
small

order = Prime Minister of Serbia
president = Dragan Maršićanin (acting)
Vojislav Mihailović (acting)
Predrag Marković (acting)
Boris Tadić
deputy = Miroljub Labus
Ivana Dulić-Marković
Božidar Đelić
term_start = 3 March 2004
term_end = 7 July 2008
predecessor = Zoran Živković
successor = Mirko Cvetković
order2 = President of Yugoslavia
primeminister2 = Momir Bulatović
Zoran Žižić
Dragiša Pešić
term_start2 = 7 October 2000
term_end2 = 7 March 2003
predecessor2 = Slobodan Milošević
successor2 = Svetozar Marović (Serbia and Montenegro)
birth_date = birth date and age|1944|03|24|df=y
birth_place = Belgrade, Yugoslavia
religion = Serbian Orthodox
spouse = Zorica Radović
alma_mater = Belgrade Law School
party = Democratic Party of SerbiaDr. Vojislav Koštunica (Serbian Cyrillic: Војислав Коштуница, Audio|sr-Vojislav_Kostunica.ogg|listen) (pronounced|ˈvɔjislaːv kɔˈʃtunitsa, born March 24, 1944, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now Serbia) is a Serbian politician and the President of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević 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

A law graduate from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law with a Ph.D., Koštunica lost his job as Professor of Law at this institution in 1974, after criticizing Josip Broz Tito's Communist government. In 1989, he became one of the founders of the Democratic Party. He left Democratic Party in July 1992, when he became the leader of the new Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), of which he is still president.

Koštunica was a conservative politician with no connection to the old Communist Party (from which Slobodan Milošević's party originated). Supported by both nationalistic and pro-Western voters, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia backed him in the presidential election of September 2000. After turbulent events of October 2000, Koštunica was finally declared the winner of the election and remained president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until February 2003, when the state was replaced by Serbia and Montenegro 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.

Following the parliamentary elections in December 2003, in which the DSS emerged as the largest of the pro-EU parties, Koštunica became prime minister in March 2004 at the head of the new minority government of Serbia, albeit with the support of the Socialist Party of Serbia. However, as a result of the bad showing of the government candidate Dragan Maršićanin in the Serbian presidential election, 2004, Koštunica announced that fresh parliamentary elections should be expected by the end of the year just following the adoption of a new Constitution for Serbia. Since then, the minority government of Vojislav Koštunica has maintained a frail coalition government.

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

Kosovo

On February 21, 2008, following Kosovo's declaration of independence, Kostunica made an emotional speech in Belgrade, which included the following: quote|Dear citizens of Serbia, Serbia! What is Kosovo? Where is Kosovo? Whose is Kosovo? Is there anyone among us who is not from Kosovo? Is there anyone among us who thinks that Kosovo does not belong to us? Kosovo – that’s Serbia’s first name. Kosovo belongs to Serbia. Kosovo belongs to the Serbian people. That’s how it has been for ever. That’s how it’s going to be for ever. There is no force, no threat, and no punishment big and hideous enough for any Serb, at any time, to say anything different but, Kosovo is Serbia! Never will anyone hear from us that the Patriarchate of Peć does not belong to us, that Visoki Dečani and Gračanica are not ours! That the place where we were born is not ours; we and our state and our church and everything that makes us what we are today! If we as Serbs renounce Serbianhood, our origin, our Kosovo, our ancestors and our history – then, who are we Serbs? What is our name then? [cite web |title=The Promise is Given, Kosovo is Serbia as Long as We Live |date=2008-02-21 |work=Tanjug, via Serbian Orthodox Church |url=http://www.spc.yu/eng/promise_given_kosovo_serbia_long_we_live ]

On February 25, 2008, Koštunica demanded that the United States rescind its recognition of Kosovo, warning that "there will be no stability" until the "fake state" is annulled. [cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022502484.html |title=Putin's Likely Successor, Pledging Support for Serbia, Signs Pipeline Deal |work=Associated Press |publisher=The Washington Post |first=Danica |last=Kirka |date=2008-02-26 |page=A11 ]

On March 8, 2008, Koštunica, as Prime Minister of Serbia, called for new elections on May 11 after the collapse of his party's coalition with the Democratic Party over European Union issues and Kosovo's declaration of independence.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7285322.stm |title=Serbia's ruling coalition collapses |work=BBC News |date=2008-03-08 ]

European Union

On April 4, 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. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=04&dd=04&nav_id=49087 Koštunica: EU membership not on agenda] ] He said that Serbia must not by no means sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. He referred to the agreement as "«Solana's agreement»". [ [http://www.mtsmondo.com/news/world/text.php?vest=93149 Koštunica: Nikako ne potpisati SSP] ]

On April 21, 2008 Koštunica said that the SAA is in the interests of Olli Rehn and Javier Solana and not in Serbia's state interests. He also said that "NATO pact cannot claim that Serbia recognized Kosovo’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.". [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=04&dd=21&nav_id=49620 "SAA not in Serbia's state interests"] ]

On April 27, 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.". [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=04&dd=26&nav_id=49765 Koštunica on SAA: Who dares to become accomplice] ]

On April 28, 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". [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=04&dd=28&nav_id=49818 Koštunica slams EU deal signing as anti-state] ]

On May 1, 2008 Koštunica said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was right when he said that the SAA should have been signed but one day later on May 2, 2008 he vowed to annul the agreement after the election, calling it "a trick", "Solana's agreement" and "the Tadić-Đelić SAA signature". [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=05&dd=01&nav_id=49898 Koštunica agrees with Lavrov: SAA long overdue] ] [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=05&dd=02&nav_id=49912# "EU deal signature will be annulled"] ] 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. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=05&dd=03&nav_id=49931 Koštunica: SAA breaking Serbia up] ] 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. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=04&dd=29&nav_id=49830 DSS: EU deal signature, seal of Judas] ] On May 4 he called the document "a forgery and a trick". [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=05&dd=04&nav_id=49951 Koštunica says signed EU deal is forgery] ]

First cabinet (2004-2007)

econd cabinet (2007-2008)

Personal life

Koštunica lives with his wife and fellow lawyer, Zorica Radović, Ph.D. He is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Koštunica loves dogs, and he has one called Zuca

References

External links

* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_33_117/ai_67872862 Article about Koštunica]
* [http://www.zamislisrbiju.org/idc_govori_06.htm Speeches and statements]
* [http://www.daylife.com/topic/Vojislav_Kostunica/photos/all/1 Photo's in the media]