Đurđa Adlešič

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Đurđa Adlešič (born April 18, 1960 in Bjelovar, Croatia, then Yugoslavia) is a Croatian liberal-conservative politician and current leader of Croatian Social Liberal Party.

Đurđa Adlešič entered Croatian politics in the 1990s as a member of Croatian Social Liberal Party. She gradually rose through the ranks of the party, but her real break came after 2000 parliamentary elections. She became one of the high ranking officials in new Parliament in charge of national security and other sensitive affairs. Her diplomatic handling of ICTY investigations and negotiations between increasingly feuding factions of left-centre coalition earned her a great deal of respect among Croatian public.

This reputation survived even the allegations about her being an informant for Croatian security services in 1990s.

After 2002 Croatian Social Liberal Party left the government, so did Đurđa Adlešič. Her good reputation remained strong in her native Bjelovar-Bilogora County, especially in town of Bjelovar where she served as a mayor. Thanks to strong regional support, she was one of only two HSLS members to be elected to Parliament on 2003 elections.

Adlešič continued to build on her reputation, hoping to remain in national spotlight by running as HSLS candidate for 2005 presidential elections. During the campaign she posed for famous fashion photographer Stephen Lupino in provocative outfit. Although she later admitted the shoot to be mistake, this didn't affect her popularity and she finished 4th in the race, beating Slaven Letica.

In January 2006, following the re-koining of Liberal Party to HSLS, Đurđa Adlešič was elected as the leader of re-united party.

In late August 2006, she announced that she would leave politics for few months after being diagnosed with benign form of brain tumor.

Party political offices
Preceded by Ivan Čehok (as president of HSLS)	President of Croatian Social Liberal Party 11 February 2006 - present	Succeeded by none
Preceded by Zlatko Benašić (as president of LS)