Michal Kováč
Michal Kováč | |
---|---|
Finance Minister of Slovak Federal Republic | |
In office 12 December 1989 – 17 May 1991 | |
Preceded by | František Mišeje |
Succeeded by | Anton Vavro (acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | Ľubiša, Czechoslovakia | 3 August 1930
Died | 5 October 2016 Bratislava, Slovakia | (aged 86)
Political party | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (1948–1970) Public Against Violence (1990–1991) Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (1991–1993) |
Spouse | Emília Kováčová (?–2016; his death) |
Michal Kováč (3 August 1930 – 5 October 2016)[1] was the first president of Slovakia, having served from 1993 through 1998.[2]
Early life
Kováč was born in the village of Ľubiša in then Czechoslovakia in 1930.[3] He graduated from the present-day University of Economics in Bratislava and was a bank employee[4] of the Státní banka československá and of other banks. As such, he spent some years in London and in Cuba in the 1960s. During Normalization he was subjected to some persecution.[citation needed]
Political career
During and after the Velvet Revolution, from 12 December 1989 to 17 May 1991 (when he resigned) Kováč was the Finance Minister of the Slovak (Socialist) Republic.[5]
In early 1991, he was one of the founders and the vice-chairman of the
President (1993–98)
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2024) |
Kováč was elected president by the National Council of Slovakia in February 1993 (because he was a candidate of the biggest parliamentary party—the
In 1995 the Mečiar-Kováč conflict intensified and the
Kováč's term ended on 2 March 1998. His candidature in the first direct 1999 Slovak presidential election was unsuccessful. He mostly withdrew from politics afterwards and appeared only at a few symbolic events.
Health and death
On 10 July 2008, Slovak media reported that Kováč probably suffered from Parkinson's disease. Kováč did not confirm this information but admitted that he had some health problems.[citation needed]
On 5 October 2016, Kováč died from complications of Parkinson's disease in Bratislava, aged 86.[6]
Honours
- Slovakia: Grand Master and Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the Order of the White Double Cross.[3]
- Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (1994)
- Poland: Order of the White Eagle (1997)
- Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1997)
- Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (1997)[7]
- Order of the Balkan Mountains (1997)[8]
- In 1993, Kovac became the first winner of the Golden Biatec Award, the highest award bestowed by Slovakia’s Informal Economic Forum – Economic Club.[9]
References
- ^ Profile of Michal Kováč
- ISBN 978-0-86516-444-4. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
- ^ a b "First Slovak president Kováč dies". The Slovak Spectator. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ "Slovakia's first president, Michal Kovac, dies at 86". 5 October 2016.
- ^ "Historical summary of the Ministers of Finance of the Slovak Republic since 1969 till present". Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic.
- ^ "Michal Kovac, first president of independent Slovakia, dies at 86". Thomas Reuters Foundation News. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ "V ére samostatnosti malo Slovensko štyroch prezidentov". TERAZ.sk (in Slovak). 28 December 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "V ére samostatnosti malo Slovensko štyroch prezidentov". TERAZ.sk (in Slovak). 28 December 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Hospodársky klub".
External links
- Media related to Michal Kováč at Wikimedia Commons