Stjepan Mesić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stjepan Mesić
Mesić in 2012
President of Croatia
In office 19 February 2000 – 18 February 2010
Prime Minister	Ivica Račan Ivo Sanader Jadranka Kosor
Preceded by	Franjo Tuđman Zlatko Tomčić (acting)
Succeeded by	Ivo Josipović
Speaker of the Croatian Parliament
In office 7 September 1992 – 24 May 1994
President	Franjo Tuđman
Preceded by	Žarko Domljan
Succeeded by	Nedjeljko Mihanović
President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia
In office 30 June 1991 – 6 December 1991
Prime Minister	Ante Marković
Deputy	Branko Kostić
Preceded by	Borisav Jović Sejdo Bajramović (Acting)
Succeeded by	Position abolisheda
Vice-President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia
In office 24 August 1990 – 15 May 1991
President	Borisav Jović
Prime Minister	Ante Marković
Preceded by	Stipe Šuvar
Succeeded by	Branko Kostić
Member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia for the Republic of Croatia
In office 24 August 1990 – 6 December 1991
President	Borisav Jović Sejdo Bajramović Himself
Preceded by	Stipe Šuvar
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Prime Minister of Croatia
In office 30 May 1990 – 24 August 1990
President	Franjo Tuđman
Preceded by	Antun Milović
Succeeded by	Josip Manolić
Secretary of the Non-Aligned Movement
In office 30 June 1991 – 6 December 1991
Preceded by	Borisav Jović
Succeeded by	Branko Kostić
Personal details
Born	(1934-12-24) 24 December 1934 (age 90) Orahovica, Yugoslavia (now Croatia)
Political party	Independent (2000–present)
Other political affiliations	SKH (1955–1990) HDZ (1990–1994) HND (1994–1997) HNS (1997–2000)
Spouse	Milka Dudunić ​ ​ (m. 1961; died 2024)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Zagreb
Profession	Lawyer
Signature
a Branko Kostić assumed the powers and duties of the office as acting president upon Mesić's resignation

Stjepan "Stipe" Mesić (born December 24, 1934) is a Croatian lawyer and politician. He served as the President of Croatia for two terms, from 2000 to 2010. Before becoming president, he held many important roles. He was the prime minister of Croatia in 1990. He was also the last president of the country of Yugoslavia in 1991. Later, he became the speaker of the Croatian Parliament from 1992 to 1994.

Early Life and Education

Stjepan Mesić, often called "Stipe," was born in Orahovica, which was then part of Yugoslavia. His mother passed away when he was young. He was cared for by his grandmother and later by his stepmother.

His father joined the Yugoslav Partisans during World War II. The Mesić family often had to move to safe places during the war. After the war, they settled in Našice and then Osijek, where Stipe went to elementary school and started high school.

In 1949, his family moved back to Orahovica. Stipe finished high school in Požega in 1955. He then went on to study law at the University of Zagreb, graduating in 1961. That same year, he married Milka Dudunić, and they had two daughters. After college, he worked in courts and served in the military.

Political Career

In 1966, Mesić started his political journey. He was elected to his local council as an independent candidate. In 1967, he became the mayor of Orahovica. He also became a member of the Croatian Parliament.

As mayor, Mesić tried to build a private factory in his town. This was a new idea in Yugoslavia at the time. However, the country's leader, Josip Broz Tito, did not approve of it.

Supporting Change in Croatia

In the 1970s, Mesić supported a movement called the Croatian Spring. This movement wanted more equality for Croatia within Yugoslavia. Because of his support, he was accused of "enemy propaganda." He was sentenced to jail and served one year in Stara Gradiška prison in 1975.

Return to Politics and Key Roles

Mesić returned to politics in 1990. He was elected as a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). He quickly became the general secretary of the party. Soon after, he became the Prime Minister of Croatia. He served in this role from May to August 1990.

After this, he became the vice-president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1991, it was his turn to become the president of Yugoslavia. However, some members tried to stop him. After international pressure, he was appointed president on July 1, 1991. He was the last president of Yugoslavia before it broke apart.

As Yugoslavia began to dissolve, Mesić resigned from his position in December 1991. He stated that his role was no longer important because Yugoslavia "no longer exist[s] anymore."

Speaker of Parliament and New Parties

After Croatia became independent, Mesić served as the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament. He held this position from 1992 to 1994.

In 1994, Mesić left the HDZ party. He formed a new party called the Croatian Independent Democrats (HND). He said he disagreed with some of the government's policies at the time. Later, in 1997, Mesić and many HND members joined the Croatian People's Party (HNS).

Presidency of Croatia

Mesić in 2004

Mesić meeting with then-US Vice President Dick Cheney in Dubrovnik in May 2006.

Mesić with Michelle and Barack Obama in New York City in September 2009.

Mesić with President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on April 16, 2002.

After the death of President Franjo Tuđman in 1999, Mesić ran for president. He won the 2000 Croatian presidential election in February 2000. He was supported by several political parties. He received 41% of the votes in the first round and 56% in the second round.

As president, Mesić often spoke about opening Croatia's economy to foreign investment. He also made changes in the military leadership, stating that active officers should not write public political letters without approval.

Mesić was very active in foreign policy. He worked to help Croatia become a member of the European Union and NATO. He also worked to improve relations with neighboring countries, including Serbia. He even attended the funeral of the Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic in 2003.

He also improved Croatia's relations with Libya. This was done by exchanging visits with the Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.

Mesić was reelected in January 2005 for a second five-year term. He was a very popular politician in Croatia during his time as president. His second term ended in 2010, and he was followed by Ivo Josipović.

In 2006, Mesić was made an honorary citizen of Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro.

There were some discussions about Mesić's past statements from the 1990s. He later apologized for some of these statements. In 2008, he compared some political policies in the region to those of the former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević.

Legal Challenges

During and after his presidency, Stjepan Mesić faced several legal challenges. These included lawsuits related to his public statements and accusations regarding his past actions. In one case, he was ordered to pay compensation for a statement he made. Another case involved accusations about vehicle purchases for the Croatian Army. He also faced a defamation lawsuit regarding his presidential campaign funding, which was decided against him.

In 2015, a court in Finland sentenced two executives from a company called Patria. They were found guilty of bribing officials in Croatia. The charges suggested that money was used to bribe President Mesić and another company director.

Activities After Presidency

After his presidential term ended, Mesić continued to be active in politics. In early 2019, he helped found the "Podgorica Club" in Montenegro. This group is a political initiative for former presidents and prime ministers from the region.

He also participated in the Inaugural Conference of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace in 2017 in Pristina, Kosovo.

Awards and Honors

Stjepan Mesić has received many awards and honors from different countries.

International Awards

Award or decoration		Country	Date
	Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Star of Romania	Romania	June 2000
	Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria	Austria	2001
	Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic	Italy	5 October 2001
	Grand Cross of 1st class of the Order of the White Double Cross	Slovakia	2001
	Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George	United Kingdom	December 2001
	Grand Cross of 1st class of the Order of Friendship	Kazakhstan	15 April 2002
	Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary	Hungary	2002
	Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm	Malaysia	2002
	Honorary Companion of Honour of the National Order of Merit	Malta	26 October 2006
	First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise	Ukraine	24 May 2007
	Medal of Pushkin	Russia	31 October 2007
	Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars	Latvia	2008
	Order of the Republic	Moldova	23 December 2008
	Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles	Monaco	16 April 2009
	Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland	Finland	2011
	National Flag Order	Albania	2018
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Knights of Rizal	Philippines	17 February 2024

Croatian Awards

Award or decoration		Country	Date
	Grand Order of King Tomislav	Croatia	11 July 2005

Honorary Citizenships

Honor		Country	Date
	Honorary Citizen of Podgorica	Montenegro	2007
	Honorary Citizen of Trogir	Croatia	2009
	Honorary Citizen of Istria	Croatia	2009
	Honorary Citizen of Bihać	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2009
	Honorary Citizen of Pristina	Kosovo	2009
	Honorary Citizen of Opatija	Croatia	2010
	Honorary Citizen of Tetovo	Macedonia	2012
	Honorary Citizen of Shengjin	Albania	2013
	Honorary Citizen of Tirana	Albania	2013

See also

In Spanish: Stjepan Mesić para niños

• Cabinet of Stjepan Mesić