Željka Antunović

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Željka Antunović (born September 15, 1955) is a Croatian centre-left politician and the deputy president of Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), the biggest opposition party in Croatia.

Željka Antunović was born in Virovitica, Croatia, then SFR Yugoslavia. She entered politics in 1990, by joining Social Democrats of Croatia (SDH), centre-left party formed after establishment of democracy in Croatia and bitter rival of SDP, recently reformed from old Communist Party. However, following disastrous results of SDH on parliamentar elections, SDH accepted SDP's offer of unification, which occurred in 1994. Antunović, together with Antun Vujić, gradually rose through the ranks of SDP.

She is a member of Croatian Parliament from 1995 until 1999, and from 2003 onwards. In 2000 party conference, she was elected as a deputy president of SDP. Between 1999 and 2003, she served as a deputy prime minister of Ivica Račan's government; and from 2002 until 2003, she served as Minister of defense.

On January 31, 2007, Ivica Račan announced that he was temporarily leaving politics due to health reasons and Antunović took the chairmanship of the Party; and on April 11, following the further deterioration of Račan's health, he resigned as leader of the party, leaving Antunović in head of SDP until next party convention.

Antunović ran for president at the party convention on June 2nd, 2007, together with Milan Bandić, Zoran Milanović and Tonino Picula. She was defeated by Milanović in the second round of voting.

[edit] External links

• Biography on Social Democratic Party of Croatia website (Croatian)
• Profile on Croatian parliament site (Croatian)
• Council of Europe Profile

Political offices
Preceded by Jozo Radoš	Croatian Minister of Defence 2002-2003	Succeeded by Berislav Rončević
Party political offices
Preceded by Ivica Račan	President of Social Democratic Party of Croatia (acting) 11 April 2007-2 June 2007	Succeeded by Zoran Milanović