Mika Špiljak (Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [mîka ʃpîʎak] or [-ʃpîʎaːk]; 28 November 1916 – 18 May 2007) was a Croatian politician who spent most of his political career as a member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia in the SFR Yugoslavia. He served as President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia from 1983 to 1984 and was also Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from 1967 to 1969.
Mika Špiljak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Špiljak in 1967 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 15 May 1983 – 15 May 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Milka Planinc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Petar Stambolić | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Veselin Đuranović | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia for SR Croatia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 16 January 1983 – 15 May 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Vladimir Bakarić | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Josip Vrhovec | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21st Prime Minister of Yugoslavia President of the Federal Executive Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 16 May 1967 – 18 May 1969 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Josip Broz Tito | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Petar Stambolić | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mitja Ribičič | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 November 1916 Sisak, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 18 May 2007 (aged 90) Zagreb, Croatia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Croatian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | League of Communists of Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Špiljak was previously President of the Executive Council of SR Croatia from 1963 to 1967. He was also President of the League of Communists of Croatia from 1984 to 1986.
Early years
editHe was born in Odra Sisačka (part of Sisak), in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (present-day Croatia). His father Dragutin was a railway worker. Špiljak began working at the age of 16. He joined the Communist Party in 1938 and fought with Partisans during World War II.
Career
editFrom 1949 to 1950, he was the mayor of Zagreb.
In 1963, Špiljak was appointed the Chairman of the Executive Council of Croatia and served until his 1967 appointment as the President of the Federal Executive Council, Yugoslavia's Prime Minister. He served in that capacity until 1969.
Špiljak then served as President of the collective Presidency of Yugoslavia from 1983 until 1984. While holding this office, Špiljak opened the 1984 Winter Olympics.
He was subsequently elected President of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Croatia from 1984 until 1986.
Death
editHe died in 2007 at the age of 90.[1] He was cremated in Zagreb.[2]
In the 2000s (decade), German courts linked Špiljak to the assassination of Croatian emigrant Stjepan Đureković in 1983.[3] After the hearings in Germany, all the links connecting him to the assassination were dropped.
References
editExternal links
edit- Klasić, Hrvoje (2019). Mika Špiljak, revolucionar i državnik (in Croatian). Naklada Ljevak. ISBN 9789533553177.