Wikipedia

Aleksandar Martinović

Aleksandar Martinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Мартиновић; born 15 June 1976) is a Serbian academic and politician who has served as minister of public administration and local self-government since 2022. He is a member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and led its parliamentary caucus from 2016 to 2022.

Aleksandar Martinović
Александар Мартиновић
Martinović staging a hunger strike in front of the National Assembly in May 2020
Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government
Assumed office
26 October 2022
Prime MinisterAna Brnabić
Preceded byMarija Obradović
Parliamentary leader of the Serbian Progressive Party/Aleksandar Vučić — For Our Children caucus
In office
3 June 2016 – 1 August 2022
Preceded byZoran Babić
Succeeded byMilenko Jovanov
Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
In office
16 April 2014 – 25 October 2022
In office
14 February 2007 – 31 May 2012
Personal details
Born (1976-06-15) 15 June 1976 (age 47)
Slavonski Brod, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalitySerbian
Political partySNS (2012–present)
SRS (1997–2012)
Alma materUniversity of Novi Sad

Martinović was previously a member of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and served in its parliamentary group from 2007 to 2012.

Early life and career edit

Martinović was born in Slavonski Brod, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He graduated from the University of Novi Sad's law faculty in 1999 and later received a master's degree (2003) and a doctorate (2011) from the same institution. He has been employed by the faculty since 2001, working in the field of constitutional law.[1] He lives in Ruma in southwestern Vojvodina.

Politician edit

Early years in the Serbian Radical Party (2004–08) edit

Local politics in Ruma edit

The Radical Party won twenty out of forty-three seats in Ruma in the 2004 Serbian local elections and afterward formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Martinović served on the municipal council (i.e., the executive branch of the municipal government) in the term that followed.[2] He chaired the local SRS organization during this time.[3]

In 2007, three SRS delegates in the local assembly left the party and allowed the Democratic Party (DS) to form a new administration. The SRS-led coalition refused to cede power, leading to a chaotic situation in which both sides claimed to be the municipality's legitimate government.[4][5] This situation continued until March 2008, when the Serbian government appointed a provisional council that did not include the Radicals.[6]

The 2008 local elections in Ruma continued the stalemate, with both the DS and the SRS winning eighteen seats. In June 2008, Martinović and local DSS leader Dragan Božić announced a new coalition that would have held a one-seat majority in the local assembly.[7] The coalition never came to power; one Radical delegate mysteriously left the area, and the DSS later withdrew its support. The DS's attempts to form a new coalition with the DSS and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) also failed, and the assembly was dissolved for a repeat election in November.[8] By the time the vote took place, the Radical Party had split.

Parliamentarian edit

Martinović received the seventy-fifth position on the Radical Party's electoral list in the 2007 Serbian parliamentary election and was given a mandate when the list won eighty-one seats.[9][10] (From 2000 to 2011, Serbian parliamentary mandates were awarded to sponsoring parties or coalitions rather than to individual candidates, and it was common practice for the mandates to be assigned out of numerical order. Martinović did not automatically receive a mandate by virtue of his list position.)[11] While the Radicals won more seats than any other party, they fell well short of a majority and ultimately served in opposition. In his first assembly term, Martinović was a member of the committee for constitutional affairs, the legislative committee, and the committee for science and technological development.[12]

He was promoted to the twenty-third position on the Radical Party's list for the 2008 parliamentary election and was again chosen for a mandate when the list won seventy-eight seats.[13][14] While the overall results of the election were inconclusive, an alliance led by the DS ultimately formed a coalition government with the Socialists, and the Radicals remained in opposition. Martinović served on the committee for constitutional affairs, the legislative committee, and the administrative committee.[15][16]

Radical Party member after the 2008 split (2008–12) edit

The Radicals experienced a serious split in late 2008, with several members joining the more moderate Progressive Party under the leadership of Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić. Martinović initially remained with the Radicals and was given a more prominent role in the party.

Local and provincial politics edit

The Radical Party lost the repeat election in Ruma in November 2008, falling to only four seats against the backdrop of the party split.[17] Martinović led the party's assembly group for the term that followed.[18] He was re-elected at the head of the SRS list in the 2012 Serbian local elections, in which the party increased its representation to seven seats.[19]

Martinović was also the Radical Party's candidate for Ruma in the 2012 Vojvodina provincial election. He finished third.

Parliamentarian edit

Martinović strongly opposed a late 2008 draft of the Statute of Vojvodina, saying it was designed to "suppress the Serbian identity" of the province and describing its preamble as "characteristic of a constitution of an independent state."[20] The following year, he opposed an anti-discrimination bill that offered protection to LGBTQ citizens, charging that it amounted to a "persecution of Christians."[21]

He became deputy leader of the Radical Party's parliamentary group in 2009, and some journalists noted that group leader Dragan Todorović was gradually giving him a larger role in the assembly.[22] He travelled to the Netherlands in late 2009 for his first meeting with SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj, who was then facing war crimes charges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. In an interview prior to the meeting, Martinović acknowledged that he had risen to a leading role in the party in a short period of time.[23]

Martinović was appointed as a vice-president of the Radical Party in April 2010. Later in the year, he called for the government of Serbia to reject any direct negotiations with Hashim Thaçi, prime minister of the disputed Republic of Kosovo, on the grounds that direct talks would confer legitimacy on Thaçi's government.[24]

In 2011, Martinović said that the Radical Party could not achieve power on its own at the republic level and should join a coalition with the DS, the DSS, or the SPS. Todorović declined to comment on this statement.[25]

Serbia's electoral system was reformed in 2011, such that parliamentary mandates were awarded in numerical order to candidates on successful lists. Martinović received the second position on the Radical Party's list, behind Šešelj, in the 2012 parliamentary election.[26] The Radicals also intended to nominate Martinović as their candidate in the concurrent presidential election, but Šešelj instead selected his largely apolitical wife Jadranka for the role.[27] She received less than four per cent support, finishing seventh, while the party lost its assembly representation by falling below the electoral threshold in the parliamentary vote. The Progressive Party and its allies won the greatest number of seats and afterward formed a coalition government with the SPS and other parties.

Serbian Progressive Party (2012–present) edit

Martinović, increasingly dissatisfied with the direction of the Radicals, left the party to join the Progressives on 4 July 2012. He was appointed as chair of Serbia's privatization agency and as chair of the Galenika supervisory board in 2013, holding both positions until his return to parliament the following year.[1]

Local politics edit

Martinović became president (i.e., speaker) of the Ruma assembly in November 2013 and served in the role for the remainder of the term.[28][29] He headed the SNS list for Ruma in the 2016 Serbian local elections and was re-elected when the list won a majority victory with twenty-six out of forty-three seats.[30][31] He led his party's group in the local assembly for the next four years and was not a candidate in the 2020 local elections.[32]

Parliamentarian edit

Martinović received the nineteenth position on the Progressive Party's Aleksandar Vučić—Future We Believe In list in the 2014 parliamentary election and was re-elected when the list won a landslide victory with 158 out of 250 mandates.[33] In the term that followed, he was vice-president of the SNS parliamentary group and chair of the assembly committee on legislative and constitutional issues. He also served on the committee on the judiciary, public administration, and local self-government, and was a deputy member of the security services control committee, a member of Serbia's delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the head of Serbia's parliamentary friendship group with Russia.[34][35][36] In May 2014, he endorsed a new Vojvodina statute that affirmed both the province's autonomy and its indivisibility from Serbia.[37]

Martinović was promoted to the seventh position on the SNS list in the 2016 parliamentary election and was re-elected when the list won 131 mandates.[38] He was the leader of the SNS parliamentary group and chair of the committee on administrative, budgetary, mandate, and immunity issues in the 2016–20 term, as well as being a member of the judiciary committee, the head of the parliamentary friendship group with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a member of the friendship group with Russia.[39] He endorsed Ana Brnabić as Serbia's new prime minister in June 2017, saying that she would continue a path of integration with the European Union while also seeking stronger connections with Russia and China.[40]

On 19 July 2018, while speaking in favour of a proposed new law on organ transplantation, he remarked that "once a person dies, he (or she) is no longer owner of properties, nor his body organs."[41]

Martinović and fellow SNS parliamentarian Sandra Božić went on a two-day hunger strike in May 2020 to protest what they described as the inaction of Serbia's prosecution and judiciary against the violent behaviour of Dveri leader Boško Obradović.[42] The strike ended when Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić urged them to call it off.[43]

Martinović was given the twentieth position on the Progressive Party's Aleksandar Vučić—For Our Children list in the 2020 Serbian parliamentary election and was elected to a fifth term when the list won a landslide majority with 188 mandates.[44] He led the For Our Children assembly group in the term followed and continued to chair the administrative committee, serve on the judiciary committee, and lead the friendship group with Bosnia and Herzegovina.[45] He received the nineteenth position on the SNS list for the 2022 Serbian parliamentary election and was again re-elected when the list won a plurality victory with 120 seats.[46]

Cabinet minister edit

Martinović was appointed as minister of public administration and local self-government in October 2022, formally taking office on 26 October.[47] By virtue of accepting this position, he was required to resign his seat in the national assembly.[48]

While making a presentation to the national assembly in July 2023, Martinović pointed out that he had three children and criticized those parliamentarians who "instead of children, feed dogs, kittens, goldfish, and so on." He specifically lashed out at Democratic Party delegate Srđan Milivojević for not having children. This led to an uproar in the assembly and prompted widespread criticism more generally.[49] Martinović later apologized, saying, "I did not intend to offend the citizens of the Republic of Serbia who do not or cannot have children, and I believe that my speech was interpreted in a completely wrong way."[50]

In August 2023, Martinović promised that the entire territory of Serbia would have access to broadband internet by the end of 2025.[51]

Electoral record edit

Provincial (Vojvodina) edit

2012 Vojvodina provincial election: Ruma
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Nenad Borović (incumbent)Choice for a Better Vojvodina–Bojan Pajtic (Affiliation: Democratic Party)7,38928.8811,40551.67
Rada MaravićLet's Get Vojvodina Moving–Tomislav Nikolić (Serbian Progressive Party, New Serbia, Movement of Socialists, Strength of Serbia Movement) (Affiliation: Serbian Progressive Party)5,69422.2610,66748.33
Aleksandar MartinovićSerbian Radical Party5,19520.30
Milutin Hadži StojkovićSocialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS), United Serbia (JS), Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDP Serbia) (Affiliation: Socialist Party of Serbia)3,48613.63
Dejan BožićLeague of Social Democrats of Vojvodina–Nenad Čanak2,69510.53
Slobodan KosanovićU-Turn1,1264.40
Total25,585100.0022,072100.00
Source: [52]


References edit

  1. ^ a b ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 30 November 2017.
  2. ^ Direktorijum lokalnih samouprava u Srbiji, Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CESID), September 2005, p. 294. This source erroneously lists his year of birth as 1960.
  3. ^ Velika Srbija [Serbian Radical Party publication], Volume 17 Number 2584 (Ruma, August 2006), p. 8.
  4. ^ Dragan Todorović, "Vlast i pečati", Vreme, 22 November 2007, accessed 6 April 2021.
  5. ^ J. Slatinac, "Tuča u Gradskoj kući u Rumi", Politika, 9 October 2007, accessed 6 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Grad nepovratno izgubio pola godine", Danas, 24 March 2008, accessed 6 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Za jedan glas više od demokrata i SPS", Blic, 18 June 2008, accessed 21 August 2023.
  8. ^ B.B. Mijić, "Socijalisti izdali demokrate", Novosti, 17 July 2018, accessed 21 August 2023.
  9. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. јануара и 8. фебрауара 2007. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (4 Српска радикална странка - др Војислав Шешељ), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 2 July 2021.
  10. ^ 14 February 2007 legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 30 November 2017.
  11. ^ Serbia's Law on the Election of Representatives (2000) stipulated that parliamentary mandates would be awarded to electoral lists (Article 80) that crossed the electoral threshold (Article 81), that mandates would be given to candidates appearing on the relevant lists (Article 83), and that the submitters of the lists were responsible for selecting their parliamentary delegations within ten days of the final results being published (Article 84). See Law on the Election of Representatives, Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 35/2000, made available via LegislationOnline, accessed 28 February 2017.
  12. ^ ДЕТАЉИ О НАРОДНОМ ПОСЛАНИКУ: МАРТИНОВИЋ , АЛЕКСАНДАР, "Narodna skupstina Republike Srbije". Archived from the original on 17 March 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2023., National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  13. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 11. маја 2008. године (ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ – 4 СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - Др ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 2 July 2021.
  14. ^ 11 June 2008 legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 30 November 2017.
  15. ^ ДЕТАЉИ О НАРОДНОМ ПОСЛАНИКУ: МАРТИНОВИЋ, АЛЕКСАНДАР, "Narodna skupstina Republike Srbije". Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2023., National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  16. ^ АЛЕКСАНДАР МАРТИНОВИЋ Др, Archived 2011-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  17. ^ Lokalni Izbori 2008; Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; p. 48.
  18. ^ СПИСАК ОДБОРНИКА СА АДРЕСАМА И СТРУЧНОМ СПРЕМОМ, Archived 2012-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  19. ^ СПИСАК ОДБОРНИКА СА АДРЕСАМА И СТРУЧНОМ СПРЕМОМ, Archived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Vojvodina's draft statute aimed at "suppressing the Serbian identity" - party," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 6 October 2008 (Source: Vecernje novosti, Belgrade, in Serbian 3 Oct 08).
  21. ^ "Serbian Radical MPs distribute anti-gay posters in parliament," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 March 2009 (Source: Radio B92 text website, Belgrade, in English 1628 gmt 19 Mar 09; B92 TV, Belgrade, in Serbian, 19 Mar 09; Danas, Belgrade, in Serbian 20 Mar 09; Beta Week, Belgrade, in English 13 Mar 09).
  22. ^ "Serbian Radicals' official denies "conflict" as "young lion" gains prominence," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 25 December 2009 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 23 Dec 09).
  23. ^ "Serbian Radical Party deputy leader not to use visit to Seselj to climb to top," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 November 2009.
  24. ^ "Serbian officials view how Marty's report could affect start of Kosovo talks," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 December 2010 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 17 Dec 10).
  25. ^ "Highlights from Serbian press 8 Apr 11," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 8 April 2011 (Source: Politika).
  26. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине, 6. мај 2012. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (2 СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - ДР ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 28 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Serbian Radical Party leader nominates spouse as presidential candidate - daily," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 6 April 2012 (Source: Blic website, Belgrade, in Serbian 6 Apr 12).
  28. ^ "Promena vlasti u Rumi", RTV Stara Pazova, 26 November 2013, accessed 3 August 2023.
  29. ^ Председник Скупштине општине Рума, Archived 2016-03-23 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  30. ^ Општинска изборна комисија, Archived 2016-03-27 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  31. ^ Lokalni Izbori – Republika Srbija; Lokalni Izbori 2016; Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; p. 48.
  32. ^ Aleksandar Martinović, istinomer.rs, accessed 3 August 2023.
  33. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 16. и 23. марта 2014. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (1 ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ - BUDUĆNOST U KOJU VERUJEMO), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 26 January 2021.
  34. ^ "OSCE/ODIHR facilitates workshop on finalization of roadmap to reform legislative process in Serbia," ForeignAffairs.co.nz, 27 November 2014.
  35. ^ Poslanička grupa Srpska napredna stranka Saziv od 16. aprila 2014. godine), National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 5 December 2020.
  36. ^ ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  37. ^ "Serbian parliament approves amended Vojvodina statute," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 23 May 2014 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 0000 gmt 21 May 14).
  38. ^ Избори за народне посланике 2016. године – Изборне листе (1 АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ - СРБИЈА ПОБЕЂУЈЕ), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 17 February 2017.
  39. ^ ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Archived 2019-08-12 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  40. ^ "Dozens of Serbia gays say election of gay PM to be historic," Canadian Press, 24 June 2017.
  41. ^ Gedošević, Lana (20 July 2018). "Kad Martinović "brani" zakon: "Čovek kada umre, nije vlasnik bilo čega, pa ni svojih organa"". blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  42. ^ SANDRA BOŽIĆ, Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 5 December 2020.
  43. ^ "Sandra Božić prekinula štrajk glađu", Danas, 11 May 2020, accessed 5 December 2020.
  44. ^ "Ko je sve na listi SNS za republičke poslanike?", Danas, 6 March 2020, accessed 30 June 2020.
  45. ^ ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Archived 2021-10-27 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  46. ^ "Ko su kandidati SNS za narodne poslanike?", Danas, 17 February 2022, accessed 17 April 2022.
  47. ^ "Izglasana nova Vlada Srbije, premijerka i ministri položili zakletvu", Radio Television of Serbia, 26 October 2022, accessed 3 August 2023.
  48. ^ Current Legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  49. ^ "Martinović prozivao opozicione poslanike koji nemaju decu: Ja 'hranim troje', a neki drugi hrane pse i mačke", Danas, 4 July 2023, accessed 3 September 2023.
  50. ^ "Oglasio se Martinović: Izvinjavam se građanima i predsedniku Vučiću", Danas, 6 July 2023, accessed 3 September 2023.
  51. ^ "Aleksandar Martinović: Širokopojasni internet na celoj teritoriji Srbije do kraja 2025.", Danas, 22 August 2023, accessed 3 September 2023.
  52. ^ Резултати избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине по већинском изборном систему (44 Рума) (2012), Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 14 April 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aleksandar_Martinović&oldid=1209665866"