Boris Tadić facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Boris Tadić
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Борис Тадић
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Tadić in 2012
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| President of Serbia | |
| In office 11 July 2004 – 5 April 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Vojislav Koštunica Mirko Cvetković |
| Preceded by | Predrag Marković (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Slavica Đukić Dejanović (acting) Tomislav Nikolić |
| Minister of Defence of Serbia and Montenegro | |
| In office 17 March 2003 – 16 April 2004 |
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| President | Svetozar Marović |
| Preceded by | Velimir Radojević |
| Succeeded by | Prvoslav Davinić |
| Minister of Telecommunications of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | |
| In office 4 November 2000 – 7 March 2003 |
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| President | Vojislav Koštunica |
| Prime Minister | Zoran Žižić Dragiša Pešić |
| Preceded by | Ivan Marković |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 January 1958 Sarajevo, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia |
| Political party | DS (1990–2014) SDS (2014–present) |
| Spouses |
Veselinka Zastavniković
(m. 1980; div. 1996)Tatjana Rodić
(m. 1997; div. 2019) |
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| Parents |
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| Alma mater | University of Belgrade |
| Signature |  |
Boris Tadić (born January 15, 1958) is a Serbian politician. He was the president of Serbia from 2004 to 2012.
He was born in Sarajevo and studied psychology at the University of Belgrade. Later, he worked as a journalist and a teacher. Tadić joined the Democratic Party (DS) in 1990. He became a member of the National Assembly in 1993.
After Slobodan Milošević left power in 2000, Tadić became the Minister of Telecommunications. He held this role until 2003. Then, he became the Minister of Defence. In 2004, he was elected president of the Democratic Party. He won the presidential election against Tomislav Nikolić.
During his first term, he worked for cooperation between former Yugoslav countries. He was the first Serbian leader to visit the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial. He also pushed for a resolution condemning the Srebrenica massacre. He won re-election in 2008, again beating Nikolić.
In his second term, his party formed a government with the Socialist Party of Serbia. Serbia signed an agreement with the EU and gained EU candidate status. The EU also removed visas for Serbian citizens traveling to Schengen Area countries. Serbia also completed its duties to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). However, this period also saw the declaration of independence by Kosovo and a global financial crisis.
In 2012, Tadić called for early elections. He lost to Tomislav Nikolić, who became the new president. Tadić later left the Democratic Party. He formed a new party called the New Democratic Party, which was later renamed the Social Democratic Party. Tadić describes himself as a liberal. He supports Serbia joining the European Union (EU). He also believes in good relations with Russia, China, the United States, and the European Union.
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Early Life and Education
Boris Tadić was born in Sarajevo on January 15, 1958. At that time, Sarajevo was the capital of the People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was a part of Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.
His father, Ljubomir Tadić, was a philosopher. His mother, Nevenka Tadić, was a psychologist. His family moved to Belgrade when he was three years old. His father started working at a newspaper there.
Tadić went to elementary school and the First Belgrade Gymnasium. As a teenager, he played water polo for VK Partizan. However, he had to stop due to injuries. He studied at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy. He earned a degree in psychology, focusing on social psychology.
In 1982, Tadić was arrested during his studies. He was protesting the arrest of students who supported the Solidarity movement in Poland. He spent one month in prison.
He worked as a journalist and a military psychologist. He also taught psychology at the First Belgrade Gymnasium. Until 2003, he taught political advertising at the University of Arts in Belgrade.
Start of His Political Journey
Tadić joined the new Democratic Party in 1990. He became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1993. He was also part of the parliamentary Science and Technology Committee.
In 1998, Boris Tadić started the Centre of Modern Skills. This group worked on political education. It also helped develop political culture and discussion.
The Democratic Party was part of a large group called the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS). This group was against Slobodan Milošević. They helped in his downfall in 2000. Tadić was elected deputy leader of the Democratic Party twice.
Tadić served as Minister of Telecommunications from 2000 to 2003. He then became Minister of Defence from 2003 to 2004. He was also an MP in the Federal Assembly. Later, he led the Democratic Party in the National Assembly of Serbia.
After Zoran Đinđić was assassinated in 2003, the Democratic Party held a leadership election. Tadić won this election in February 2004. He was re-elected without opposition in 2006 and 2010.
Becoming President of Serbia
First Term: 2004–2008
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As the new leader of the Democratic Party, Tadić ran for president. He won the 2004 presidential election. He beat Tomislav Nikolić with 53% of the votes. He officially became president on July 11, 2004.
During his campaign, Tadić promised to create a "People's Office." This office opened on October 1, 2004. Its goal was to help citizens communicate with the President. It also helped citizens use their rights.
Tadić worked to improve relations with other former Yugoslav countries. These countries had faced conflicts in the 1990s. In December 2004, he apologized in Bosnia and Herzegovina for crimes committed in the name of the Serbian people. In July 2005, he visited Srebrenica for the 10th anniversary of the massacre there. In 2007, he apologized to Croatia for any crimes committed in Serbia's name during the war.
Tadić was president during the referendum for independence in Montenegro in 2006. He was the first foreign leader to visit Montenegro after it became independent. Serbia also declared its independence. Tadić attended the raising of the flag of Serbia at the United Nations Headquarters.
In 2007, Tadić signed an agreement to form the Council for Cooperation between Serbia and Republika Srpska. He stated that Serbia supports the unity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also said Serbia supports Bosnia and Herzegovina joining the EU and NATO.
As President, Tadić followed a pro-Western foreign policy. In September 2005, he met with Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City. This was the first time a Serbian leader met with a Pope. This helped improve relations between the Catholic and Serbian Orthodox Churches.
Re-election Campaign in 2008
Tadić pushed for an early presidential election. This was needed after Serbia adopted a new constitution in 2006. The election was set for January 20, 2008. Tadić's campaign slogan was "For a strong and stable Serbia." In the second round, it was "Let's win Europe together!"
Tadić supported Serbia joining the European Union. He also supported Serbia's control over Kosovo and Metohija. He received support from other parties and minority groups.
In the first round, he received 1,457,030 votes. In the second round on February 3, 2008, he again faced Tomislav Nikolić. Tadić won the election with 2,304,467 votes. After winning, he promised Serbian citizens in Kosovo that they would not be forgotten.
Second Term: 2008–2012
Tadić was sworn in on February 15, 2008. Two days later, the Assembly of Kosovo declared independence. Boris Tadić asked the United Nations Security Council to act quickly and cancel this declaration. He said Belgrade would never recognize Kosovo's independence.
Tadić visited Romania's President Traian Băsescu. He thanked Romania for its support. He said Serbia would not give up its future in Europe. He also stated that Serbia would not accept the EU's planned police mission for Kosovo.
On February 25, 2008, Tadić met with Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Lavrov from Russia. Medvedev said Russia believes Serbia is a single state with control over all its territory. An agreement for the South Stream gas pipeline was also signed.
In April 2008, Tadić called the acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj "disgraceful." He asked the ICTY to appeal the decision. He said Serbia wanted to help the Tribunal gather evidence.
In January 2009, Kosovo formed the Kosovo Security Forces. Tadić sent protest letters to the UN and NATO. He said these forces were illegal and a threat to Serbia's security. He called for Kosovo to be demilitarized.
In March 2008, President Tadić called for early parliamentary elections on May 11. He formed a large pro-EU group called "For a European Serbia – Boris Tadić." This group won the most votes. Tadić urged the European Union not to interfere with Serbian elections.
Tadić was ready to sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. However, he would not do so if it meant recognizing Kosovo's independence. Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister signed the document in April.
In June 2008, Tadić named Mirko Cvetković as the new Prime Minister. This followed his party's victory in the parliamentary election.
After Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, Tadić refused to do the same. He said Serbia would not do anything against its own interests. He stated that he must defend Serbia's interests, not those of other countries.
In December 2008, Tadić dismissed the Chief of the General Staff, Zdravko Ponoš. Ponoš had made public accusations against the Defence Minister.
In April 2009, Tadić suggested changes to the constitution. He proposed reducing the number of National Assembly members from 250 to 150. He also suggested dividing Serbia into more self-governing regions. These changes were meant to help Serbia develop more evenly.
In May 2009, Lech Kaczyński, the President of Poland, visited Serbia. He said he supported Tadić's policy on Kosovo. They also discussed energy security in Europe.
Some people have said that Tadić's government tried to control the media. This was later developed further by the Aleksandar Vučić government.
Presidential Advisors
Advisors help the President with analysis and advice. They also help the President work with the Government and Parliament.
| Advisor | Role |
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| Gordana Matković | General Affairs |
| Trivo Inđić | Political Issues |
| Mlađan Đorđević | Legal Issues |
| Nebojša Krstić | Public Relations |
| Vojislav Brajović | Culture |
| Jovan Ratković | EU/NATO relations |
The Chief of Staff was Miodrag Rakić.
After His Presidency
2012 Elections and Changes
On April 5, 2012, Tadić resigned as president. This moved the presidential election to the same day as the parliamentary election on May 6.
Tadić lost the presidential election to Tomislav Nikolić. Nikolić won 49.7% of the votes, while Tadić received 47%. Many people were surprised by this result.
Tadić was criticized for calling early elections. Dragan Đilas, the mayor of Belgrade, challenged Tadić for the leadership of the Democratic Party. Tadić stepped down from the race. Đilas became the president of the Democratic Party in November 2012.
Forming a New Party
In early 2014, Tadić left the Democratic Party. Many other members also left and joined him. They formed a new party called the New Democratic Party. This party later changed its name to the Social Democratic Party (Serbia). In the 2023 Serbian parliamentary election, his party was part of an alliance.
Personal Life
Tadić's sister, Vjera, is a psychologist. She teaches psychology at the First Belgrade Gymnasium. Besides Serbian, Boris Tadić can speak English, French, Italian, and German.
He was married to journalist Veselinka Zastavniković from 1980 to 1996. They did not have children. They were both active in protests against human rights abuses in the 1980s and 1990s.
Tadić was also married to Tatjana Rodić. They have two daughters. The couple separated in 2019.
His maternal grandfather, Strahinja Kićanović, was a wealthy businessman. He was killed during World War II at the Jadovno camp.
Awards and Recognition
On August 4, 2007, Tadić received the European Prize for Political Culture. This award is given by a Swiss foundation. Tadić donated the money from the award to a maternity hospital near Gračanica.
Tadić also received the Quadriga award in September 2008. This German award recognizes people for their commitment to innovation and a pioneering spirit. His award was called "The Courage of Perseverance."
In March 2010, Tadić received the Steiger Award for "respectfulness, openness, humanity, and tolerance."
In 2011, Tadić won the North-South Prize from the Council of Europe. This award recognized his efforts to promote human rights and democracy.
In 2012, Tadić and former Croatian President Ivo Josipović received the European Medal of Tolerance. This award recognized their work in promoting tolerance and reconciliation in Europe.
- European Prize for Political Culture by Ringier in 2007;
- Medal For the Contribution to the Victory of Russian Federation in 2008;
- The Courage of Perseverance by Quadriga in 2008;
- Golden Keys of the City of Madrid in 2009;
- Honorary doctorate of Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University in 2009;
- 40 Years of Revolution Medal of Libya in 2009;
- Steiger Award of Rhine-Ruhr in 2010;
- Golden Medal of Hellenic Parliament in 2010;
- Jubilee Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" from the Russian Federation in 2010;
- North–South Prize of the Council of Europe in 2011;
- Order of the Republika Srpska of Republika Srpska in 2012; and
- Ilyas Afandiyev International Prize of Azerbaijan in 2012.
- European Medal of Tolerance by the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Boris Tadić para niños
