Anja Šimpraga

Anja Šimpraga (Serbian Cyrillic: Ања Шимпрага; born 23 July 1987) is a Croatian politician serving as a Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia and a minister without portfolio in charge of social affairs and human and minority rights since 29 April 2022. Previously, she served as a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2020 to 2022. An ethnic Serb, Šimpraga is a member of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS).

Anja Šimpraga
Ања Шимпрага
Šimpraga in December 2022
Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia
Assumed office
29 April 2022
Prime MinisterAndrej Plenković
Preceded byBoris Milošević
Minister without portfolio
Responsibility for Social Affairs and Human and Minority Rights
Assumed office
29 April 2022
Prime MinisterAndrej Plenković
Member of the Croatian Parliament
In office
23 July 2020 – 29 April 2022
Preceded byBoris Milošević
Succeeded byBoris Milošević
Personal details
Born (1987-07-23) 23 July 1987
Knin, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Political partyIndependent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS)
Alma materUniversity of Zagreb
OccupationPolitician

Biography

Šimpraga was born on 23 July 1987 in Knin, in the SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia.[1] During the Croatian War of Independence, Knin was controlled by the separatist Republic of Serbian Krajina until the Operation Storm in 1995 when the Croatian Army regained control of Knin and the rest of Krajina. Following the operation, Šimpraga became a refugee, fleeing Knin to Serbia with her family.[2] Šimpraga later returned to Croatia and became a member of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) at the age of 18.[2]

She graduated at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb[3] and later obtained a degree in food technology from the Marko Marulić Polytechnic University in Knin.[1]

From 2016 to 2020, Šimpraga was the deputy prefect of the Šibenik-Knin County. She was sworn in as a member of the Croatian Parliament following the appointment of SDSS MP Boris Milošević as a government minister.[4] On 31 July 2020, five days before the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Knin and the Victory Day, Šimpraga spoke in front of the Parliament about her experience as an eight-year-old in the column of Operation Storm refugees. Due to the lack of discourse in Croatia on civilian Serb victims of Operation Storm, Šimpraga's speech was widely dubbed "important", "powerful" and "historical".[5][6][7] On 29 April 2022, Šimpraga was appointed a deputy prime minister of Croatia and a minister without portfolio in charge of social affairs and human and minority rights, succeeding Milošević who once again became an MP.[2][3]

Personal life

Šimpraga is married and lives in Radučić.[3]

References
  1. "Vlada Republike Hrvatske - Anja Šimpraga". vlada.gov.hr. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  2. Tanjug (2022-04-27). "Devojčica iz kolone: Ko je Anja Šimpraga, najmlađa članica hrvatske vlade i kandidat za novu potpredsednicu". Euronews.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  3. "Anja Šimpraga nova potpredsjednica hrvatske Vlade iz redova srpske manjine". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  4. "Zastupnik data 1400". Hrvatski sabor (in Croatian). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  5. Luzar, Ivan (2020-07-31). "Zastupnica SDSS-a koja je kao dijete u koloni bježala iz Knina upravo je održala važan govor u Saboru". Telegram (in Croatian). Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  6. Vlašić, Boris (2020-07-31). "Zastupnica SDSS-a o čijem govoru svi pričaju: 'Vrijeme je da krenemo dalje, nismo više u ratu'". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  7. R. S. (2020-08-03). ""Djevojčica iz kolone" o reakcijama na njezin povijesni govor u Saboru, ali i očekivanjima od Ante Gotovine u Kninu". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2022-12-23.
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