Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz
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Official portrait, 1993
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| Second Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo | |
| Assumed office 22 March 2021 |
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| President | Glauk Konjufca (Acting) Vjosa Osmani |
| Prime Minister | Albin Kurti |
| Preceded by | Driton Selmanaj |
| 8th Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 22 March 2021 |
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| President | Glauk Konjufca (Acting) Vjosa Osmani |
| Prime Minister | Albin Kurti |
| Preceded by | Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla Besnik Tahiri (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Donika Gërvalla
16 October 1971 Skopje, SR Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Political party | Guxo (2021–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic League of Kosovo (until 2020) |
| Spouse | Stefan Schwarz |
| Children | 5 |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | University of Hamburg |
| Signature | .svg) |
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz (born 16 October 1971) is an important politician from Kosovo. Since 2021, she has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This means she helps manage Kosovo's relationships with other countries. She also serves as the Second Deputy Prime Minister. Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz is a member of the Guxo political group, which is part of the Vetëvendosje political party. She is also the leader of the Guxo! party.
Early Life and Education
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz was born in Skopje, which is now in North Macedonia. Her family was from Kosovo. Her father, Jusuf Gërvalla, was an activist who worked for Albanian rights.
In 1980, when Donika was young, her family had to leave their home in Pristina. They moved to West Germany because her father was facing problems from the secret police in Yugoslavia. Sadly, in 1982, her father was killed. After this, her family moved again, this time to Tirana, the capital of Albania.
Donika grew up in Tirana. She even took part in student protests against the government there. She studied music in Tirana. In 1992, she went back to Germany to finish her education. Later, she earned a law degree from the University of Hamburg.
Political Journey
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz started her political journey in 1991. She became an honorary member of the Democratic League of Kosovo. From 1993 to 1997, she was a deputy chairperson for the party. She then became the spokesperson for the party's branch in Germany until 1999. During the Kosovo War, she often spoke in German media and to politicians about Kosovo's situation.
In 2015, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz returned to politics. She was again chosen to lead the party's German branch. She worked closely with another Kosovan politician, Vjosa Osmani. They tried to make changes within their party. In 2018, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz left her leadership roles. By 2020, she was no longer a member of the party.
In 2021, she joined a new political group called Guxo. She ran as a candidate in the 2021 Kosovan parliamentary election and was elected to the Assembly. However, she soon left her seat. This was because Albin Kurti chose her to be the Second Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in his government. When Vjosa Osmani became the president of Kosovo in April 2021, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz became the leader of Guxo! This is because the rules in Kosovo say that the president cannot lead a political party.
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz has talked about how important it is for people in the Foreign Ministry to be chosen for their skills, not just their connections. She wants to make sure that Kosovo's diplomats are taken seriously by other countries. She said that fixing these issues is a big job that will take time.
Family Life
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz is married to Stefan Schwarz, who is a German politician. They have five children together. Stefan Schwarz used to be a member of the Bundestag, which is Germany's parliament. He was part of the Christian Democratic Union party from 1990 to 1994. The family lived in Bonn, Germany. However, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz moved back to Kosovo in 2021 for the election.
