Andrej Kiska
Andrej Kiska | |
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4th President of Slovakia | |
Assumed office 15 June 2014 | |
Prime Minister | Robert Fico |
Preceded by | Ivan Gašparovič |
Personal details | |
Born | Poprad, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) | 2 February 1963
Political party | Independent |
Spouse | Martina Kisková |
Children | Andrej Natália Veronika Viktor |
Alma mater | Slovak University of Technology |
Website | Official website |
Andrej Kiska (born 2 February 1963) is a Slovak entrepreneur and philanthropist who has been President of Slovakia since 2014. He ran as an independent candidate in the 2014 presidential election and was elected as President in a second round of voting.[1][2][3]
Entrepreneurial career
Kiska was born in Poprad. He studied electrical engineering. In 1990, after the Velvet Revolution, he moved to the United States.[4] Later he founded Triangel and Quatro,[5] two Slovakia-based hire-purchase companies that give the buyer the possibility to pay for goods in several installments over a number of months instead of paying the full price at once.[6]
Philanthropy
In 2006, Kiska co-founded a non-profit charitable organization called Dobrý anjel (translated as Good Angel), in which donors help families that have found themselves in a difficult financial situation as a result of a family member contracting a serious disease (such as cancer).[5][7] By 2014, more than 140,000 people have donated to this organization.[8] Most recently, Good angel expanded their activities also in Czech Republic.
In addition to that, Andrej Kiska donates his montly presidential salary to people in need.
Election as President
In the first round of the 2014 presidential election, Kiska placed second with 24% of the vote, behind Prime Minister Robert Fico (28%). As none of candidates got more than 50% of votes, Kiska and Fico progressed to a presidential runoff vote on 29 March 2014. Kiska won decisively in the second round, receiving nearly 60% of the vote.[9] He took office on 15 June 2014.[10]
Foreign policy
Andrej Kiska supports Kosovo independence and is in favour of Slovakia diplomatically recognising Kosovo as an independent sovereign state.[11][12] Kiska has also come out against Russia over the Ukraine conflict and supports sanctions. [13] [14] [15] [16]
References
- ^ "Slovak PM Fico, political novice advance to run-off presidential vote". Reuters. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ "Slováci volí prezidenta. Fica ohrožuje filantrop Kiska" (in Czech). Týden. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ "Kandidát na prezidenta Andrej Kiska: Najvyšším zmyslom života je pomáhať druhým!" (in Slovak). Topky.sk. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "Novým slovenským prezidentem bude Andrej Kiska" (in Czech). novinky.cz. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Andrej Kiska - životopis" (in Slovak). DatabazeKnih. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
- ^ "Hire-purchase definition". Investopedia. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
- ^ "Čo je systém Dobrý anjel" (in Slovak). Dobrý anjel. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
- ^ "Zoznam Dobrých anjelov" (in Slovak). Dobrý anjel. March 1, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
- ^ "Millionaire Andrej Kiska elected first Slovak president with no communist past", Telegraph Online, 30 March 2014, accessed 30 March 2014.
- ^ "Andrej Kiska inaugurated as Slovakian president". Europe Online Magazine. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- ^ "Milioner na čelu Slovačke". B92. 2014-03-30. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
- ^ "Parteiloser Millionär wird slowakischer Präsident". Die Welt. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
- ^ "Slovak president rejects PM's negative view of Russian sanctions". The Prague Post. 2014-08-15. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- ^ "Slovak President Kiska: EU Must Stand United on Russia". The Wall Street Journal. 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- ^ "Slovakian President Andrej Kiska meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg". Ukraine Today. 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- ^ "President will not go to Moscow". The Slovak Spectator. 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
External links
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