Andrej Kiska

Andrej Kiska
4th President of Slovakia
Assumed office
15 June 2014
Prime Minister Robert Fico
Preceded by Ivan Gašparovič
Personal details
Born (1963-02-02) 2 February 1963
Poprad, Czechoslovakia
(now Slovakia)
Political party Independent
Spouse(s) Martina Kisková
Children 4
Alma mater Slovak University of
Technology
Website Official website

Andrej Kiska (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈandrej ˈkiska]; 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 2016, more than 170,000 people have donated to this organization in Slovakia.[8] In 2014 Good Angel expanded their activities also to Czech Republic, where 60.000 are paying their monthly contributions in 2016.[9]

In addition to that, Kiska donates his monthly presidential salary to people in need.

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.[10] He took office on 15 June 2014.[11]

Foreign policy

Andrej Kiska supports Kosovo independence and is in favour of Slovakia diplomatically recognising Kosovo as an independent sovereign state.[12][13] Kiska has also come out against Russia over the Ukraine conflict and supports sanctions. [14] [15] [16] [17]

References

  1. ↑ "Slovak PM Fico, political novice advance to run-off presidential vote". Reuters. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Slováci volí prezidenta. Fica ohrožuje filantrop Kiska" (in Czech). Týden. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Kandidát na prezidenta Andrej Kiska: Najvyšším zmyslom života je pomáhať druhým!" (in Slovak). Topky.sk. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Novým slovenským prezidentem bude Andrej Kiska" (in Czech). novinky.cz. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Andrej Kiska - životopis" (in Slovak). DatabazeKnih. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Hire-purchase definition". Investopedia. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Čo je systém Dobrý anjel" (in Slovak). Dobrý anjel. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Zoznam Dobrých anjelov" (in Slovak). Dobrý anjel. March 1, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  9. ↑ "DOBRÝ ANDĚL, nadace". DOBRÝ ANDĚL. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  10. ↑ "Millionaire Andrej Kiska elected first Slovak president with no communist past", Telegraph Online, 30 March 2014, accessed 30 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "Andrej Kiska inaugurated as Slovakian president". Europe Online Magazine. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  12. ↑ "Milioner na čelu Slovačke". B92. 2014-03-30. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  13. ↑ "Parteiloser Millionär wird slowakischer Präsident". Die Welt. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  14. ↑ "Slovak president rejects PM's negative view of Russian sanctions". The Prague Post. 2014-08-15. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  15. ↑ "Slovak President Kiska: EU Must Stand United on Russia". The Wall Street Journal. 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  16. ↑ "Slovakian President Andrej Kiska meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg". Ukraine Today. 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
  17. ↑ "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.
Political offices
Preceded by
Ivan Gašparovič		 President of Slovakia
2014–present 		Incumbent
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