Željka Antunović facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Željka Antunović
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Antunović in May 2011
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| Leader of the Opposition Acting |
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| In office 11 April 2007 – 2 June 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Ivo Sanader |
| Preceded by | Ivica Račan |
| Succeeded by | Zoran Milanović |
| President of the Social Democratic Party Acting |
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| In office 11 April 2007 – 2 June 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Ivica Račan |
| Succeeded by | Zoran Milanović |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003 |
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| Prime Minister | Ivica Račan |
| Preceded by | Jozo Radoš |
| Succeeded by | Berislav Rončević |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 September 1955 Virovitica, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia |
| Political party | SDH (1990–1994) SDP (1994–2013) |
| Alma mater | University of Zagreb |
Željka Antunović (born on September 15, 1955) is a former politician from Croatia. She played important roles in her country's government. She was the acting leader of the Social Democratic Party for a short time in 2007. From 2002 to 2003, she served as the Minister of Defence. She was the first woman to ever hold this important position in Croatia.
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Early Life and Political Start
Željka Antunović was born in Virovitica, a city in Croatia. She began her political journey in 1990. At that time, she joined a political group called the Social Democrats of Croatia (SDH). This party was formed when Croatia was becoming a democracy.
Joining the Social Democratic Party
The Social Democrats of Croatia (SDH) did not do very well in elections. Because of this, they decided to join another, larger party. This party was the Social Democratic Party (SDP). This joining happened in 1994. Željka Antunović became a member of the SDP. She slowly became more important within the party.
Key Roles in Government
Željka Antunović became a member of the Croatian Parliament. She served in Parliament from 1995 to 1999. She returned to Parliament in 2003 and continued her work there.
Becoming Deputy Prime Minister
In 2000, she was chosen as the deputy leader of the SDP party. From 2000 to 2003, she held a very important job. She was the Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia. This role meant she helped lead the government.
Minister of Defence
In 2002, Željka Antunović made history. She was named the Minister of Defence. This made her the first woman to ever hold this position in Croatia. She was in charge of the country's defense. She served in this role until the end of 2003.
Leading the Social Democratic Party
In early 2007, the leader of the SDP, Ivica Račan, had to step away from politics. This was due to health reasons. Željka Antunović then took over as the acting leader of the party.
Party Leadership Election
On April 11, 2007, Ivica Račan officially resigned as party leader. This meant Željka Antunović continued to lead the SDP. She led the party until a new leader could be chosen. She decided to run for the position of party president herself. The election for the new leader happened on June 2, 2007. She competed against other candidates. In the end, Zoran Milanović was chosen as the new leader.
After Politics
After her time in active politics, Željka Antunović started a new career. She began a company that offers advice to others. She also helped with Ivo Josipović's campaign for the presidential election in 2014-2015.
