Andrej Kiska
Andrej Kiska | |
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4th President of Slovakia | |
Incumbent | |
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(s) | Martina Kisková |
Children | Andrej Natália Veronika Viktor |
Alma mater | Slovak University of Technology |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
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]
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's 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.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "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
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andrej Kiska. |
- Official website (Slovak)
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Ivan Gašparovič |
President of Slovakia 2014–present |
Incumbent |
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