Bakir Izetbegović facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bakir Izetbegović
Izetbegović in 2022
14th Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 17 March 2018 – 20 November 2018
Preceded by	Dragan Čović
Succeeded by	Milorad Dodik
In office 17 March 2016 – 17 November 2016
Preceded by	Dragan Čović
Succeeded by	Mladen Ivanić
In office 10 March 2014 – 17 November 2014
Preceded by	Željko Komšić
Succeeded by	Mladen Ivanić
In office 10 March 2012 – 10 November 2012
Preceded by	Željko Komšić
Succeeded by	Nebojša Radmanović
6th Bosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 10 November 2010 – 20 November 2018
Prime Minister	Nikola Špirić Vjekoslav Bevanda Denis Zvizdić
Preceded by	Haris Silajdžić
Succeeded by	Šefik Džaferović
President of the Party of Democratic Action
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 September 2014 Acting: 25 September 2014 – 26 May 2015
Preceded by	Sulejman Tihić
Parliamentary offices Member of the House of Peoples In office 28 February 2019 – 16 February 2023 Member of the House of Representatives In office 11 January 2007 – 10 November 2010 Member of the Federal House of Representatives In office 28 October 2002 – 11 January 2007
Personal details
Born	(1956-06-28) 28 June 1956 (age 68) Sarajevo, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia
Nationality	Bosnian
Political party	Party of Democratic Action (1990–present)
Spouse	Sebija Građević ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	1
Parents	Alija Izetbegović (father) Halida Repovac (mother)
Residences	Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alma mater	University of Sarajevo (BArch)
Signature

Bakir Izetbegović (born on 28 June 1956) is a Bosnian politician. He served as one of the three members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2010 to 2018. He represented the Bosniak people during his time in the Presidency. Currently, he leads the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), a major political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Izetbegović was born in Sarajevo in 1956. His father, Alija Izetbegović, was the first president of independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bakir studied architecture at the University of Sarajevo and worked in that field for several years. He later entered politics in 2000. In 2006, he was elected to the national Parliament.

In 2010, Izetbegović was elected to the Bosnian Presidency. He was re-elected for a second term in 2014. During his time in office, Bosnia and Herzegovina faced challenges like the 2014 Southeast Europe floods and public protests. After leaving the Presidency in 2018, he became a member of the national House of Peoples. He ran for the Presidency again in 2022 but was not elected.

Early Life and Education

Bakir Izetbegović was born in Sarajevo, which was then part of Yugoslavia, on 28 June 1956. His father, Alija Izetbegović, became the first President of independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. His mother was Halida Repovac.

He went to primary and high school in Sarajevo. In 1981, he finished his studies at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Sarajevo. From 1982 to 1992, he worked as a consultant for an architectural company.

Bakir Izetbegović also took part in many community activities. He was involved with sports clubs like FK Sarajevo (a football club) and KK Bosna Royal (a basketball club). He also helped with the Muslim Humanitarian Society "Merhamet" and the Council of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Start in Politics

Bakir Izetbegović followed in his father's footsteps into politics. From 1991 to 2003, he was the director of the Construction Institute of the Sarajevo Canton. He officially started his political career in 2000.

He first served in local assemblies. Later, he was elected to the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2006 general election. He became a leader within his father's party, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). He held important roles in different levels of parliament, from the federal to the national level.

Izetbegović has been a member of the SDA party since it was founded in 1990. He became a member of the party's main leadership in 2002. In May 2015, he was chosen to be the president of the Party of Democratic Action.

Serving in the Presidency (2010–2018)

In the 2010 general election, Bakir Izetbegović was elected as the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a three-person leadership body for the country. He won the most votes among the Bosniak candidates.

Working for the Country

Izetbegović arriving at a European People's Party (EPP) meeting in Vienna, 2011

In 2011, Izetbegović attended a meeting in New York City about the Dayton Agreement. This agreement helped end the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He ran for a second term in the Presidency in the 2014 general election. He won again, promising to create many new jobs if elected.

In 2017, he spoke about the importance of unity for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also said that Bosnia and Herzegovina should recognize the independence of Kosovo.

In 2018, Šefik Džaferović from Izetbegović's party was elected to the Presidency. He took over Izetbegović's role. During his time in the Presidency, Izetbegović served as its chairman four times.

Changing the Rules

Izetbegović meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Sarajevo, 2012

One big challenge was changing the country's rules, or "constitution." This was needed to make sure everyone had a fair chance to be elected, no matter their background. Many talks were held with leaders from Europe and the U.S. to find a solution.

Despite many meetings and efforts, a full agreement on these changes was hard to reach. The goal was to remove any unfairness in how people could be elected to the Presidency. These talks continued for several years but did not lead to a final solution during his term.

Working with Other Countries

Izetbegović with French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders in Sofia, 2018

In 2012, Izetbegović spoke out when the Serbian President did not recognize the Srebrenica massacre as a genocide. He said it was disrespectful to the survivors. Later, the Serbian President apologized for crimes committed in Srebrenica.

In October 2012, Izetbegović met with United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Sarajevo.

In 2015, Izetbegović met with Pope Francis when the Pope visited Sarajevo.

Ties with Turkey

Izetbegović with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (left) and Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, 2018

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey have strong historical ties. This is because Bosnia was once part of the Ottoman Empire.

In 2016, the Turkish government decided to offer the Bosnian language as a class in its schools. This showed the close connection between the two countries.

In 2018, Izetbegović said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was a mentor for Muslims. He believed this was why some Western countries did not like him.

The Turkish government has also helped rebuild old mosques in Bosnia that were destroyed during the Bosnian War.

After the Presidency (2018–Present)

After his eight years in the Presidency ended in 2018, Bakir Izetbegović continued his political work. In February 2019, he became a member of the national House of Peoples. He was also chosen as the chairman of the House of Peoples. He served in this role until 2023.

In June 2022, Izetbegović announced he would run for the Presidency again in the general election. However, in the election held on 2 October 2022, he was not elected. Denis Bećirović won the Bosniak member seat instead.

Personal Life

Bakir Izetbegović has been married to Sebija Građević since 1983. They have one daughter named Jasmina. The family lives in Sarajevo. His wife, Sebija, was the managing director of the University of Sarajevo Clinical Center.

In October 2020, it was confirmed that Izetbegović had COVID-19. In May 2021, he received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In August 2021, his daughter Jasmina got married in Sarajevo. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the wedding as a special guest.

Images for kids

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  Bakir Izetbegović's signature