Denis Bećirović

Denis Bećirović (born 28 November 1975) is a Bosnian politician, professor and historian serving as the 8th and current Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2022. Previously, he was a member of the national House of Peoples from 2019 to 2022. He is also the current vice-president of the Social Democratic Party.

Denis Bećirović
Bećirović in 2023
8th Bosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Assumed office
16 November 2022
Prime MinisterBorjana Krišto
Preceded byŠefik Džaferović
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Peoples
In office
28 February 2019 – 16 November 2022
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
11 January 2007 – 6 December 2018
Personal details
Born (1975-11-28) 28 November 1975
Tuzla, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalityBosnian
Political partySocial Democratic Party (1993–present)
SpouseMirela Bećirović
Children2
Residence(s)Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alma materUniversity of Tuzla
University of Sarajevo

Born in Tuzla, Bećirović graduated from the city's University in 1998. He enrolled in postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo in 2000. Prior to his political engagement, Bećirović was a history teacher at a primary school in Tuzla. From 1998 to 2002, he worked at the Secondary School of Economics in his hometown.

Bećirović has been a member of the Social Democratic Party since 1993. In 1998, he became a member of the Federal Parliament. Two years later, he entered the Tuzla Cantonal Assembly and was appointed member of the Federal House of Peoples. In the 2006 general election, Bećirović was elected to the national House of Representatives. In the 2018 general election, he ran for a seat in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a Bosniak member, but was not elected. Following the general election, he became a member of the national House of Peoples.

In the 2022 general election, Bećirović ran once again for a seat in the Presidency as a Bosniak member and was elected, defeating former Presidency member Bakir Izetbegović. Bećirović was sworn in as Presidency member on 16 November 2022.

Education

Bećirović graduated in 1998 from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Tuzla. He enrolled in postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Sarajevo in 2000. He defended his master's thesis in 2004, and his doctorate in 2010 at the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo.[1]

Career

Bećirović joined the Social Democratic Party in 1993 and has held several positions within the party. Prior to his political engagement, Bećirović was a history teacher at a primary school in his hometown of Tuzla, and from 1998 to 2002, he worked at the Secondary School of Economics in his hometown. He has been an assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Tuzla since 2010.[1] In 1998, Bećirović became a member of the Federal Parliament. Two years later, in the 2000 parliamentary election, he entered the Tuzla Cantonal Assembly and the Federal House of Peoples.[1]

In the 2002 general election, Bećirović was re-elected to the Cantonal Assembly, and four years later, in the 2006 general election, he became a member of the national House of Representatives. He renewed his term in the 2010 general election as well. In the 2014 general election, Bećirović won his third consecutive term in the national Parliament.[1]

In the 2018 general election, Bećirović ran for a seat in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a Bosniak member, but was not elected, obtaining 33.53% of the vote, with Šefik Džaferović of the Party of Democratic Action getting elected with 36.61% of the vote.[2] In February 2019, following the election, Bećirović was appointed member of the national House of Peoples.[3]

Presidency (2022–present)

2022 general election
Main article: 2022 Bosnian general election

The three-party liberal coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SDP BiH), Our Party and the People and Justice party, also supported by the Union for a Better Future and the People's European Union, announced Bećirović's candidacy in the Bosnian general election on 21 May 2022, running once more for Presidency member and representing the Bosniaks.[4]

In the general election, held on 2 October 2022, he was elected to the Presidency, having obtained 57.37% of the vote. The Party of Democratic Action candidate and former Bosniak Presidency member, Bakir Izetbegović, was second with 37.25%.[5]

Domestic policy

Bećirović was sworn in as Presidency member on 16 November 2022, alongside newly elected member Željka Cvijanović and re-elected member Željko Komšić.[6]

Following the 2022 general election, a coalition led by the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, the Croatian Democratic Union and Bećirović's SDP BiH reached an agreement on the formation of a new government, designating Borjana Krišto as the new Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers.[7] The Presidency officially nominated her as chairwoman-designate on 22 December; Bećirović and Cvijanović voted for, Komšić voted against.[8] Bećirović said after the vote that "It's time to give a chance to development, cooperation and dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina" and that the "Citizens and peoples of Bosnia must no longer be held hostages of permanent blockades, blackmails and quarrels."[9]

On 27 June 2023, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska voted to suspend rulings by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and stopping publishing the High Representative's decrees and laws in the official gazette.[10] Bećirović later called on the High Representative to sanction Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik and his allies for derogating the peace agreement.[11]

Foreign policy
Bećirović in a meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, 13 March 2023

On 4 July 2023, Bećirović met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during an official visit to the United Kingdom.[12] They discussed bilateral relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Kingdom, implementing economic reforms, strengthening democracy and reforming the rule of law.[13] In October 2023, he met with Pope Francis in Vatican City.[14]

European Union

On 15 December 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina was recognised by the European Union as a candidate country for accession following the decision of the European Council, which Bećirović strongly supported.[15]

Personal life

Denis is married to Mirela Bećirović, and together they have two children.[1] They live in Tuzla.

Works

Bećirović wrote several books and papers dealing with the modern history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of his work include:

  • Bećirović, Denis (2012). Informbiro i sjeveroistočna Bosna: odjeci i posljedice sukoba KPJ-Informbiro 1948.-1953 [Informbiro and the North East Bosnia: echoes and consequences of the KPJ-Informbiro conflict 1948-1953] (in Bosnian). Sarajevo: Feri. ISBN 9789958933776.
  • Bećirović, Denis (2012). Islamska Zajednica u Bosni i Hercegovini za vrijeme avnojske Jugoslavije (1945-1953) [The Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the AVNOJ Yugoslavia (1945-1953)] (in Bosnian). Sarajevo: Bošnjačka nacionalna zajednica. ISBN 9789535526483.
  • Bećirović, Denis (2021). Teritorijalni ekspanzionizam Srbije prema Bosni i Hercegovini (1804-2020) [The territorial expansionism of Serbia towards Bosnia and Herzegovina (1804-2020)] (in Bosnian). Sarajevo: University of Sarajevo. ISBN 9789958028380.

References
  1. "Denis Bećirović". imovinapoliticara.cin.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  2. Er. M. (8 October 2018). "CIK ponovo potvrdio: Džaferović, Dodik i Komšić novi članovi Predsjedništva BiH" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  3. "Izetbegović, Čović i Špirić imenovani u rukovodstvo Doma naroda PSBiH". vecernji.ba (in Bosnian). 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  4. G.M. (21 May 2022). "Denis Bećirović zvanično kandidat opozicije za člana Predsjedništva BiH" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  5. D.Be. (23 October 2022). "Bećirović dobio 116 hiljada glasova više od Izetbegovića, a Cvijanović sama više od svojih protukandidata skupa" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. "Komšić, Cvijanović i Bećirović preuzeli dužnost u Predsjedništvu BiH". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Bosnian). 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  7. "'Osmorka', HDZ BiH i SNSD potpisali 'historijski' sporazum" (in Bosnian). Al Jazeera Balkans. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  8. D.Be. (22 December 2022). "Predsjedništvo BiH imenovalo Borjanu Krišto za mandatarku Vijeća ministara" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  9. Daria Sito-Sucic (22 December 2022). "Bosnia presidency nominates first female Croat PM-designate". Reuters. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  10. "Decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH will not be applied in Republika Srpska". sarajevotimes.com. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  11. Daria Sito-Sucic (27 June 2023). "Bosnian Serb lawmakers vote to suspend rulings of Bosnia's top court". Reuters. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  12. G.M. (4 July 2023). "Bećirović - Sunak: Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo snažno uz Bosnu i Hercegovinu" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  13. "Becirovic-Sunak: United Kingdom is strongly with Bosnia and Herzegovina!". Sarajevo Times. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  14. V.K. (21 October 2023). "Bećirović posjetio papu Franju: Razgovarali o situaciji u BiH, uručeni i prigodni pokloni" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  15. "'Huge, historic move': EU grants Bosnia and Herzegovina Candidate Status". Sarajevo Times. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
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