Željko Komšić facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Željko Komšić
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Komšić in 2023
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| 12th Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||||||||
| In office 16 July 2023 – 16 March 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Željka Cvijanović | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Denis Bećirović | ||||||||
| In office 20 July 2021 – 20 March 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Milorad Dodik | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Šefik Džaferović | ||||||||
| In office 20 July 2019 – 20 March 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Milorad Dodik | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Šefik Džaferović | ||||||||
| In office 10 July 2013 – 10 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Nebojša Radmanović | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bakir Izetbegović | ||||||||
| In office 10 July 2011 – 10 March 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Nebojša Radmanović | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bakir Izetbegović | ||||||||
| In office 6 July 2009 – 6 March 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Nebojša Radmanović | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Haris Silajdžić | ||||||||
| In office 6 July 2007 – 6 March 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Nebojša Radmanović | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Haris Silajdžić | ||||||||
| 6th Croat Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||||||||
| Assumed office 20 November 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Denis Zvizdić Zoran Tegeltija Borjana Krišto |
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| Preceded by | Dragan Čović | ||||||||
| In office 6 November 2006 – 17 November 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Adnan Terzić Nikola Špirić Vjekoslav Bevanda |
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| Preceded by | Ivo Miro Jović | ||||||||
| Succeeded by | Dragan Čović | ||||||||
| President of the Democratic Front | |||||||||
| Assumed office 7 April 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Office established | ||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||
| Born | 20 January 1964 Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia |
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| Political party | Democratic Front (2013–present) | ||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
Social Democratic Party (1997–2012) | ||||||||
| Spouse |
Sabina Komšić
(m. 1996) |
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| Children | 1 | ||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Sarajevo (LL.B.) | ||||||||
| Occupation | Politician | ||||||||
| Awards |  Order of the Golden Lily |
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| Military service | |||||||||
| Allegiance |  Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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| Branch/service | Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||||
| Years of service | 1992–1996 | ||||||||
| Rank | Platoon leader | ||||||||
| Unit |
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| Battles/wars | Bosnian War | ||||||||
Željko Komšić (born January 20, 1964) is a politician from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is currently serving as the Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a special three-person leadership group for the country.
Komšić has been a member of the Presidency since 2018. He also served in this role from 2006 to 2014. He is the first Croat member to serve more than two terms. He was re-elected for his fourth term in 2022.
He used to be a key member of the Social Democratic Party. Later, he started his own political group called the Democratic Front in 2013.
Even though he is elected as the Croat member, many Bosnian Croats believe he doesn't truly represent them. This is because he was mostly elected by Bosniak voters. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, people in one part of the country can vote for both the Bosniak and Croat members of the Presidency.
About Željko Komšić
Early Life and Education
Željko Komšić was born in Sarajevo. His father was a Bosnian Croat, and his mother was a Bosnian Serb. His mother was sadly killed during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992. At that time, Komšić was serving in the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He later received a high military award called the Order of the Golden Lily for his service.
Komšić studied law at the University of Sarajevo. He is married to Sabina, who is a Bosniak, and they have a daughter named Lana. He is also a big fan of the football club Željezničar.
Military Service in the Bosnian War
During the Bosnian War (1992-1995), Komšić was a soldier in the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was honored with the Order of the Golden Lily, which was the highest military award given by the Bosnian government.
Starting His Political Journey
After the war, Komšić began his political career. He joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP BiH). He worked as a councilman in his local area and in the city council of Sarajevo. In 2000, he became the head of his local government. He also served as the deputy mayor of Sarajevo for two years. For a short time, he was an ambassador to the country of FR Yugoslavia.
Serving in the Presidency
First Term (2006–2014)
In 2006, Komšić ran for the Croat seat in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He won the election. Many people believe his win was helped by a split in another political party. Some Croats felt he didn't truly represent them because he received many votes from Bosniak voters.
He was re-elected in the 2010 general election. Again, his win was debated by Croat politicians. They pointed out that he did not win in most areas where Croats were the majority. Instead, he received a lot of votes from areas where Bosniaks were the main population. This caused frustration among Croats.
Key Actions and Policies
In 2008, Komšić disagreed with another Presidency member about the number of languages spoken in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He stated that no one person should decide this.
A study in 2010 showed that Komšić was very popular among Bosniaks. In 2012, he left the Social Democratic Party. The next year, in 2013, he started his own party, the Democratic Front (DF). This party focuses on social democracy and aims to unite citizens.
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Second Term (2018–Present)
Komšić ran for the Presidency again in the 2018 general election. He was elected for his third term. He won with 52.64% of the votes. He was re-elected for a fourth term in the 2022 general election, winning 55.80% of the votes.
Domestic Policies and Events
In 2019, Komšić appointed a Serbian politician as his advisor. He also publicly supported the first BIH Pride March in Sarajevo. He said that everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina should be able to live as they wish.
In May 2021, Komšić attended a military exercise with the United States Army and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Serb member of the Presidency did not attend.
In November 2021, Komšić spoke about protests by miners. He suggested that certain leaders should resign to address the miners' concerns.
After the 2022 election, a new government was formed. Komšić voted against the nomination of Borjana Krišto as the new Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers. He explained that she did not present her plans for the role.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
When the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina began in March 2020, the Presidency decided to set up quarantine tents at the country's borders. Bosnian citizens returning home had to stay in self-quarantine for 14 days.
In March 2021, the president of Serbia visited Sarajevo and donated 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The president of Slovenia also visited and promised to donate vaccines.
Foreign Relations and Diplomacy
After Komšić's election in 2018, the Prime Minister of Croatia criticized his victory. Komšić responded that the Croatian Government was interfering with Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence. He also mentioned that Bosnia and Herzegovina might sue Croatia over the building of the Pelješac Bridge.
In December 2020, Komšić refused to meet with the Russian foreign minister. He felt the minister had shown disrespect to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In September 2021, Komšić spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. He talked about challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change. He also met with leaders from other countries.
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In November 2021, Komšić attended a major climate change conference. He met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UN Secretary-General.
In January 2022, he met with Pope Francis in Vatican City. The Pope praised Komšić, calling him "a good person." In February 2022, Komšić met with the Spanish Prime Minister and King.
When Russia recognized certain areas in Ukraine as independent, Komšić strongly condemned Russia's actions. He later stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina would support Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
In October 2023, after events involving Hamas and Israel, Komšić said that Hamas' actions were those of desperate people. He criticized another leader for quickly showing support for Israel.
Working with the European Union
In September 2020, Komšić and other Presidency members said that Bosnia and Herzegovina could become an EU candidate country in 2021 if it made important changes.
In September 2021, Komšić met with the President of the European Commission. This meeting was part of a visit focused on improving connections and infrastructure.
In December 2022, the European Union officially recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina as a candidate country for joining the EU. Komšić strongly supported this decision. In March 2024, EU leaders agreed to start talks for Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the EU.
Relations with Turkey
In March 2021, Komšić visited Turkey with other Presidency members. They met with the Turkish President, who promised to donate 30,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also agreed on cooperation in building projects, including a highway.
In August 2021, the Turkish President visited Sarajevo. He discussed more economic cooperation and the highway project with the Presidency members.
Balkan Non-Papers
In April 2021, Komšić sent an informal document to EU foreign ministers. He criticized how some EU groups treated certain political parties in Bosnia. He also mentioned outside influence from Russia, Croatia, and Serbia. He reacted to another informal document about possible border changes in the Western Balkans.
Awards
| Award or decoration | Country | Awarded by | Year | Place | |
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Order of the Golden Lily | Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Alija Izetbegović | 1995 | Sarajevo |
Images for kids
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Komšić at the Bled Strategic Forum, 2021
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See also
In Spanish: Željko Komšić para niños
