Zoran Đinđić
Zoran Đinđić Зоран Ђинђић | |
|---|---|
| File:Zoran Djindjic.jpg | |
| 5th Prime Minister of Serbia (2001 - 2003) | |
| In office January 25, 2001 – March 12, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Milomir Minić (interim) |
| Succeeded by | Zoran Živković |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 1, 1952 Bosanski Šamac, Yugoslavia |
| Died | March 12, 2003 (aged 50) Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Ružica Đinđić |
Zoran Đinđić, Ph.D. (often Zoran Djindjić, from Serbian Cyrillic: Зоран Ђинђић, IPA: [/ˈzorɑn ˈdʑɪndʑɪtɕ/]) (1 August, 1952 – 12 March, 2003) was a Serbian prime minister, mayor of Belgrade, long-time opposition politician and a philosopher by profession.
Biography
Đinđić was born in Bosanski Šamac, a town on the Sava river in the čefur region of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Yugoslavia, but he completed his secondary education in the IX gymnasium in Belgrade, where his father Dragomir was sent as an officer in the Yugoslavian army. His mother Mila was a homemaker. Đinđić had one older sister — Gordana. Đinđić took an interest in politics as a student of philosophy at the University of Belgrade.
A pro-reform socialist, he continued his studies in Germany under professor Jürgen Habermas in Frankfurt. Đinđić went to Germany after being attacked by the communist regime and media for trying to organize an independent political movement of Yugoslav students. It is said that during his days as a student in Germany, Đinđić often visited the largest left-wing bookstore in the town, the "Libresso" at Opera Square where Joschka Fischer was working at the time. The relevance of this became a subject of speculation in the context of Fischer's earlier pacifism and his later unpopular decision to contribute to NATO attacks on Serbia. However, neither a political nor a personal friendship of the men can be proven.
In 1979 Đinđić obtained a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Konstanz. He spoke German fluently. His ability in English was at a moderate level, so he took English classes every day while he was Serbian prime-minister.
In 1989 Đinđić returned to Yugoslavia to take a teaching post at Novi Sad University, and together with other Serb dissidents he founded the Democratic Party. He became Chairman of the Executive Board of the party in 1990, and was elected to the Parliament of Serbia in the same year. In 1993 he became the President of the Democratic Party.
After a massive series of public protests over elections annulled by the central government under Slobodan Milošević during the winter 1996/97, Đinđić became Mayor of Belgrade, the first non-communist mayor to hold that post after the Second World War. United only by their political enemy, the coalition "Zajedno" (Together) with Vuk Drašković's SPO and Vesna Pešić's GSS collapsed only four months after their victory. Đinđić was voted out of his position as Belgrade mayor by the SPO, SPS and SRS.
After anti-regime publisher and journalist Slavko Ćuruvija was murdered on Orthodox Easter during NATO bombings attacking Serbia, Đinđić sought safety and fled to temporary exile in Montenegro, allegedly because of information that he was next on the assassination list of then-President Slobodan Milošević's secret service. Before long, he left for Western countries, being regarded as a political friend by western leaders such as Gerhard Schröder and Bill Clinton. In September 1999, Đinđić was named by Time magazine as one of the most important politicians at the beginning of the 21st century.
Photos of his handshake with Clinton at time of the bombings have been used to portray him as a traitor, as well as by the opposition to show his and accordingly Belgrade's possible international recognition. Upon his return to the country in July 1999, Đinđić was charged with endangering state security in a trial that was closed to the public and subsequently said to be rigged.
Đinđić played a prominent role in the presidential elections of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in September 2000 and in the October 5 uprising that overthrew the Milošević regime, and then led the broad-based 18-party Democratic Opposition of Serbia coalition to victory in the Serbian elections of December 2000. He became Premier of Serbia on 25 January, 2001.
In 2001, Đinđić played a key role in sending Milošević to the UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague[1]. Later, he said that he became disillusioned with the protracted trial of Milošević, and even condemned it as an expensive "circus". Đinđić said the court in The Hague was "allowing Milošević to behave like a demagogue and to control the trial".
Đinđić was received favorably by Western nations. His meetings with Western leaders George Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and others strongly indicated that the West supported his politics. Đinđić had constant disagreements with his ex-coalition partner and then-Yugoslav federal president Vojislav Koštunica, who was his biggest political rival in Serbia itself. His earlier close relationship with Montenegrin president Milo Đukanović had also cooled because of Đukanović's aspiration for an independent Montenegro state.
Assassination
Đinđić was assassinated in Belgrade in the stairway of the main Serbian government building on 12 March, 2003, at 12:23pm. Shot once in the chest, a high-power bullet penetrated his heart and killed him almost instantly. [citation needed] He was rushed to the emergency hospital where he was treated, but pronounced dead one hour later.
Nataša Mićić, then acting President of Serbia, declared a state of emergency immediately following the shooting. Zoran Živković was elected by the Serbian Democratic Party as Đinđić's successor.
Legacy
Đinđić was married to Ružica. They had two children — a daughter, Jovana, born in 1990, and a son, Luka, born in 1993.
His solemn state procession and funeral, held on 15 March, 2003, was attended by hundreds of thousands of citizens and by foreign delegations. Đinđić's death represents a political and moral tragedy to many Serbs who saw in him a statesman of hope who guaranteed peaceful coexistence with neighboring nations, integration to Europe and the rest of the world, economic prosperity and a brighter future.
His political opponent and critic during his premiership Vojislav Koštunica acknowledged his work two years later with these words:
- Zoran Đinđić was the first to take this difficult task to lead government in very unstable times. Probably his energy and commitment made it possible for things to move forward. It is one thing to watch it from the sidelines and it is completely different to be a part of it. I understand that now when I am Prime Minister and watch things a bit differently. He was very important for the whole process.
Following his death, a small but influential movement emerged throughout Serbia and the Serbian diaspora organized around a short documentary about Zoran Djindjic (created by Belgrade director Aleksandar Mandic). The documentary - "Ako Srbija Stane" (If Serbia Comes to A Standstill) - was a collection of edited speeches given by Djindjic on a speaking tour in Serbia shortly before his death. A movement called "Kapiraj" created a network of students and other young people who were committed to copying and distributing the documentary free of charge. This campaign was known by the slogan "Kapiraj-kopiraj" (which means "Catch on and Copy" in Serbian) and it's purpose was to have a "non-party initiative to have as many people as possible hear Djindjic's message, to put an end to the fleeing from responsibility, and to do the most for oneself so that Serbia does not stop." The documentary has mobilized many people, partly because of its powerful ending: after a series of dynamic, sharp and energetic speeches, the film ends with a freeze-frame of Djindjic which slowly fades to black as a gentle piano piece signifies his death. The freeze frame interrupts Djindjic in the middle of a sentence in which he is about to warn his audience that "This is our last chance. If Serbia stops now...."
The documentary is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwzrnK3pDKo . The Kapiraj-Kopiraj movement has this website: http://www.kapiraj.org
Quotes
- “If someone believes they can stop the implementation of the law by eliminating me, they are seriously deluding themselves, because I am not the system. The system will continue to function, and no-one will receive amnesty for their crimes by eliminating one or two government officials.”―Politika (21 February 2003) and Glas Javnosti (24 February 2003).
- Serbian: “Ако неко мисли да ће зауставити спровођење закона тиме што ће мене уклонити онда се грдно вара, јер ја нисам систем. Систем ће функционисати и даље и нико неће добити амнестију за злочине тако што ће уклонити једног или два функционера државе.” ― Политика 21. фебруар 2003. и Глас Јавности 24. фебруар 2003. године.
External links
- Fund "Dr. Zoran Djindjic"
- Obituary by Gabriel Partos, BBC News Online
- Freely downloadable documentary containing parts of Đinđić's speeches (without editorials). In Serbian, English subtitles available. (offline)
- Template:Sr icon Official memorial website
- Imagine Serbia Speeches and statements of the Serbian politicians from 1987 - 2007
