Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova
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| Гордана Сиљановска-Давкова | |
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Siljanovska-Davkova in 2025
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| President of North Macedonia | |
| Assumed office 12 May 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Talat Xhaferi Hristijan Mickoski |
| Preceded by | Stevo Pendarovski |
| Member of the Assembly of North Macedonia | |
| In office 4 August 2020 – 12 May 2024 |
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| Constituency | I electoral district |
| Minister without portfolio | |
| In office 17 August 1992 – 20 December 1994 |
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| Prime Minister | Branko Crvenkovski |
| Member of the Constitutional Commission of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia | |
| In office 25 November 1990 – 17 August 1992 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gordana Siljanovska
11 May 1953 Ohrid, PR Macedonia, Yugoslavia |
| Political party | VMRO-DPMNE |
| Spouse | Blagoja Davkov |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje University of Ljubljana (PhD) |
| Occupation | Jurist, professor, politician |
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (born May 11, 1953) is a law professor and politician from North Macedonia. She became the president of North Macedonia in May 2024. She is the first woman to hold this important position in her country.
She ran for president in 2019 but did not win. In 2024, she ran again and won against the previous president, Stevo Pendarovski.
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Early Life and Education
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was born on May 11, 1953, in Ohrid, which was then part of Yugoslavia. Today, Ohrid is in North Macedonia.
She went to school in Skopje, the capital city. She studied law at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, graduating in 1978. She also earned her master's degree there. Later, she completed her PhD in 1994 at the University of Ljubljana. Her PhD topic was about how local governments work.
Career as a Professor and Politician
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova started teaching at the Faculty of Law in Skopje in 1989. She became a full professor in 2004. She taught subjects like constitutional law, which is about the main rules of a country, and how political systems work.
She was also involved in government and international groups. From 1990 to 1992, she was part of a group that helped write the country's constitution. She also served as a minister in the government from 1992 to 1994. A minister without portfolio is a government official who does not head a specific department but works on special tasks.
She was an expert for the United Nations (UN) and the Council of Europe, focusing on local self-government. From 2008 to 2016, she was a member of the Venice Commission. This group advises countries on their laws and how their governments are set up. She has written many academic papers about law and politics.
Presidential Elections
In 2019, her political party, VMRO-DPMNE, chose her to be their candidate for president. During her campaign, she said she would want to hold another public vote (referendum) to change the country's name back. However, she lost the election to Stevo Pendarovski.
She ran for president again in 2024. This time, she won by a large number of votes against Stevo Pendarovski. This made her the first woman to become president of North Macedonia.
Before she officially became president, she talked about changing an agreement with Bulgaria from 2017. She also spoke against adding Bulgarians to North Macedonia's constitution. This is a condition for North Macedonia to join the European Union (EU). These comments led to discussions with Bulgarian leaders.
Presidency
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova officially became president on May 12, 2024. In her first speech, she promised to make the country more "European" and to support the role of women in North Macedonia.
However, she caused some discussion when she referred to her country as "Macedonia" instead of its official name, "North Macedonia." This official name was agreed upon in the Prespa Agreement with Greece. The Greek ambassador left the ceremony because of this. Greece's government said her words went against the agreement and could harm relations between the two countries. The President of the EU Commission also reminded her that respecting the Prespa Agreement is important for North Macedonia to join the EU.
Her office later stated that she would respect the country's international agreements. They also said she has the right to use "Macedonia" as a way to identify herself.
After her party, VMRO-DPMNE, won the most seats in the parliament in the 2024 elections, President Siljanovska-Davkova asked the party leader, Hristijan Mickoski, to form a new government on June 6.
Personal Life and Views
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova is married to Blagoja Davkov, who is a lawyer. They have two children and have been married for over 40 years.
She has expressed her views on important national topics. She believes the Prespa Agreement with Greece, which settled a long-standing dispute over the country's name, was not fair to North Macedonia. She also disagrees with the Good Neighborhood Agreement with Bulgaria. She is against recognizing Bulgarians in North Macedonia as an official ethnic minority, which is a requirement for joining the EU.
See also
In Spanish: Gordana Silianovska-Davkova para niños
