Denis Bećirović facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Denis Bećirović
Bećirović in 2024
19th Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 16 March 2024 – 16 November 2024
Preceded by	Željko Komšić
Succeeded by	Željka Cvijanović
8th Bosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 November 2022
Prime Minister	Zoran Tegeltija Borjana Krišto
Preceded by	Šefik Džaferović
Parliamentary offices Member of the House of Peoples In office 28 February 2019 – 16 November 2022 Member of the House of Representatives In office 20 November 2006 – 6 December 2018
Personal details
Born	(1975-11-28) 28 November 1975 (age 49) Tuzla, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality	Bosnian
Political party	Social Democratic Party (1993–present)
Spouse	Mirela Bećirović
Children	2
Residences	Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alma mater	University of Tuzla (BA) University of Sarajevo (MA, PhD)

Denis Bećirović (born November 28, 1975) is a politician, professor, and historian from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is currently one of the three members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing the Bosniak people. He took on this important role in November 2022. Before joining the Presidency, Bećirović was a member of the national House of Peoples from 2019 to 2022. He is also a vice-president of the Social Democratic Party.

Bećirović was born in Tuzla. He finished his university studies at the University of Tuzla in 1998. He continued his education at the University of Sarajevo in 2000. Before becoming a full-time politician, he taught history at a primary school in Tuzla. From 1998 to 2002, he also worked at a high school in his hometown.

He joined the Social Democratic Party in 1993. In 1998, he became a member of the Federal Parliament. Later, he joined the assembly for Tuzla Canton and the Federal House of Peoples. In 2006, he was elected to the national House of Representatives. He ran for the Presidency in 2018 but was not elected. After that election, he became a member of the national House of Peoples.

In the 2022 general election, Bećirović ran for the Presidency again and won. He defeated Bakir Izetbegović, who had been a Presidency member before. Bećirović officially started his term as a Presidency member on November 16, 2022.

Education and Early Career

Studying History

Denis Bećirović completed his first university degree in 1998 at the University of Tuzla. He then started his advanced studies at the University of Sarajevo in 2000. He earned his master's degree in 2004 and his doctorate (PhD) in 2010 from the same university in Sarajevo.

Teaching and Politics

Bećirović joined the Social Democratic Party in 1993. Before focusing on politics, he taught history at a primary school in his hometown of Tuzla. From 1998 to 2002, he also worked at the Secondary School of Economics in Tuzla. Since 2010, he has been an assistant professor at the Faculty of Humanities in Tuzla.

In 1998, Bećirović became a member of the Federal Parliament. In 2000, he was elected to the Tuzla Cantonal Assembly and the Federal House of Peoples.

Political Journey

Joining the National Parliament

In the 2002 general election, Bećirović was re-elected to the Cantonal Assembly. Four years later, in the 2006 general election, he became a member of the national House of Representatives. He was re-elected to this role in the 2010 and 2014 general elections, serving three terms in the national Parliament.

First Presidential Bid

In the 2018 general election, Bećirović ran for a seat in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the Bosniak member. He received 33.53% of the votes but was not elected. Šefik Džaferović won that election with 36.61% of the votes. After this election, in February 2019, Bećirović was appointed as a member of the national House of Peoples.

Serving in the Presidency (2022–Present)

Winning the 2022 Election

Several political parties, including the Social Democratic Party, People and Justice, and Our Party (together known as Troika), supported Bećirović's candidacy for the Presidency. They announced his run on May 21, 2022.

In the general election held on October 2, 2022, Denis Bećirović was elected to the Presidency. He received 57.37% of the votes. The candidate from the Party of Democratic Action, Bakir Izetbegović, came in second with 37.25% of the votes.

Working for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bećirović officially became a Presidency member on November 16, 2022. He was sworn in alongside new member Željka Cvijanović and re-elected member Željko Komšić.

After the 2022 election, a new government was formed. The Presidency officially nominated Borjana Krišto as the new Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers. Bećirović voted for her nomination, saying that it was "time to give a chance to development, cooperation and dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina." He added that "Citizens and peoples of Bosnia must no longer be held hostages of permanent blockades, blackmails and quarrels."

In June 2023, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska voted to stop following some rulings by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bećirović then asked the High Representative to take action against those who were going against the peace agreement.

Connecting with Other Countries

Bećirović meeting Italian President Sergio Mattarella, July 2, 2024

On July 4, 2023, Bećirović met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to the United Kingdom. They talked about how Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UK could work together, improve the economy, and strengthen democracy. In October 2023, he also met with Pope Francis in Vatican City.

In May 2024, the United Nations General Assembly decided to make July 11 an annual International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. Bećirović strongly supported this decision, stating that truth and justice had won.

Path to the European Union

On December 15, 2022, the European Union recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina as a candidate country to join the EU. Bećirović strongly supported this important step.

On February 8, 2024, the Presidency agreed to start talks with Frontex, which is a key step for Bosnia and Herzegovina to begin negotiations with the EU. On March 21, 2024, all 27 EU leaders agreed to open EU membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina. This happened after the Council of Ministers adopted two more European laws. The talks are set to begin once more reforms are completed.

Personal Life

Denis Bećirović is married to Mirela Bećirović. They have two children and live in Tuzla.

Works

Bećirović has written several books and academic papers. These works mostly focus on the modern history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

See also

In Spanish: Denis Bećirović para niños