Gjorge Ivanov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gjorge Ivanov
Ѓорге Иванов
Ivanov in 2017
President of (North) Macedonia
In office 12 May 2009 – 12 May 2019
Prime Minister	Nikola Gruevski Emil Dimitriev Zoran Zaev
Preceded by	Branko Crvenkovski
Succeeded by	Stevo Pendarovski
Personal details
Born	(1960-05-02) 2 May 1960 (age 65) Valandovo, PR Macedonia, FPR Yugoslavia
Political party	VMRO-DPMNE
Spouse	Maja Ivanova
Education	Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje
Signature

Gjorge Ivanov (Macedonian: Ѓорге Иванов; born May 2, 1960) is a Macedonian professor and politician. He served as the fourth President of (North) Macedonia from 2009 to 2019.

Early Life and Schooling

Gjorge Ivanov was born in the town of Valandovo, which was then part of a country called Yugoslavia. He went to elementary and high school in his hometown.

After high school, he attended the University of Skopje, where he studied law and graduated in 1982. He continued his studies and earned a master's degree in 1994 and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in 1998. His studies focused on how democracy works in countries with diverse groups of people.

From Student to Professor

Even as a young man, Ivanov was interested in politics. He believed in having many different political parties and a market economy, where businesses can compete freely.

His career started in 1988 at Macedonian Radio and Television, the country's main broadcaster. He later became a professor at the University of Skopje, teaching political ideas. In 2008, the university named him a full-time professor. He also helped start the Macedonian Political Science Association.

Becoming President of Macedonia

First Presidential Campaign

On January 25, 2009, the political party VMRO-DPMNE chose Ivanov to be their candidate for president. Even though the party supported him, he was not an official member.

During his campaign, Ivanov said he wanted to solve a long-running disagreement with the neighboring country of Greece over Macedonia's name. He promised that if he won, he would try to set up a meeting with the president of Greece.

The election was held in two parts. In the first round on March 22, Ivanov received the most votes. In the second round on April 5, he won the election with 453,616 votes and became the new president.

First Term as President (2009–2014)

Ivanov was sworn in as president on May 12, 2009. In his first speech, he said his main goals were for Macedonia to join the European Union (EU) and NATO (a group of countries that promise to protect each other). He also wanted to improve the economy and maintain good relationships with neighboring countries.

The presidents of Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Albania attended his inauguration ceremony. The day after he became president, he sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, restating his goals for the country. He also traveled to Brussels to meet with leaders from the EU and NATO.

During his first term, Ivanov worked to promote Macedonia as a country where many different ethnic groups could live together peacefully.

Second Term and Challenges (2014–2019)

Ivanov with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, 2016.

Ivanov with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, 2017.

Ivanov with Brazilian President Michel Temer in Brasília, 2017.

Ivanov was re-elected for a second term in April 2014. This term included some difficult times for the country.

In 2016, a political crisis began. Ivanov made a decision to stop investigations into several politicians. This was very unpopular with many people and with other political parties. Large protests, known as the Colourful Revolution, took place in the capital city of Skopje. After facing pressure from both inside and outside the country, Ivanov eventually reversed his decision.

A major event during his second term was the effort to solve the name dispute with Greece. In 2018, an agreement called the Prespa agreement was reached to change the country's name to North Macedonia. Ivanov did not support this agreement. He called on people to boycott the vote on the name change and refused to sign laws that used the new name.

Despite his objections, the name change went through in 2019. His presidency ended on May 12, 2019, and he was succeeded by Stevo Pendarovski.

Personal Life

Ivanov is married to Maja Ivanova, and they have one son, Ivan. He is an ethnic Macedonian and an Orthodox Christian. He has written several books on politics and democracy.

Awards and Honors

Throughout his career, Ivanov has received many awards and honors from different countries and organizations.

• Honors
  • 2011: Highest decoration of the Order of "Saint Lazarus" of Jerusalem
  • 2013: Imperial Knight of Honor of the Order of St. George from the House of Habsburg
  • 2015: Honorary Citizen of Pustec, Albania
  • 2015: Jubilee Medal from the Russian Federation

• Awards
  • 2011: Recognition for leadership from the United Nations
  • 2014: Freedom Award from The Fund for American Studies (TFAS)
  • 2016: Isa Beg Ishaković international award
  • 2017: Flame of Peace award

He has also been awarded honorary professor and doctor titles from universities in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Russia.

See also

In Spanish: Gjorge Ivanov para niños