Kiro Gligorov

Kiro Gligorov (Macedonian: Киро Глигоров, pronounced [kiˈrɔ ɡliˈɡɔrɔf] (listen); 3 May 1917 – 1 January 2012) was a Macedonian politician who served as the first President of the Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia) from 1991 to 1999.

Kiro Gligorov
Киро Глигоров
Gligorov in 1993
1st President of Macedonia
In office
27 January 1991 – 19 November 1999
Prime MinisterNikola Kljusev
Branko Crvenkovski
Ljubčo Georgievski
Vice PresidentLjubčo Georgievski (1991)[1]
Preceded byVladimir Mitkov (as President of the SR Macedonia)
Succeeded byBoris Trajkovski
President of the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia
In office
15 May 1974 – 15 May 1978
Preceded byMijalko Todorović
Succeeded byDragoslav Marković
Personal details
Born
Kiro Pančev

(1917-05-03)3 May 1917
Štip, Bulgarian-occupied Serbia
Died1 January 2012(2012-01-01) (aged 94)
Skopje, Macedonia
NationalityYugoslav/Macedonian
Political partyLCM/Independent[2]
Spouse
Nada Misheva
​
​
(m. 1943; died 2009)​
Children3
Signature

Early life

He was born in Štip, then in the Bulgarian occupation zone of Serbia during World War I,[3] as Kiro Pančev. Gligorov later graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School.[4] After the defeat of Yugoslavia in 1941, he returned to Skopje (then annexed by Bulgaria), where Gligorov worked as a lawyer until 1943. In 1942, Gligorov was arrested by the Bulgarian police for reporting that he was a pro-Serbian communist. He was released on the orders of Skopje Mayor Spiro Kitinchev, who guaranteed for him as a trustworthy Bulgarian.[5][6][7] Afterwards he participated in the National Liberation War of Macedonia as a secretary of the Initiative committee for the organization of the Antifascist Assembly of the National Liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM) and a finance commissioner in the Presidium of ASNOM.[8]

Politics

After World War Two he was appointed Assistant Secretary General of the Presidency of the Government of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, between 1945–1947, and then Assistant Minister of Finance from 1947–1952.[9] After this year he held several positions: Assistant Chairman of the Economic Council of the Government of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (1952–1953), Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Economic Planning (1953–1955), Secretary of Economy - Coordinator in the Federal Government (1956). Later he served as Finance Minister of Yugoslavia from 1962 to 1967. He held various other high positions in the political establishment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including a member of the Yugoslav Presidency, as well as President of the Assembly of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 15 May 1974 to 15 May 1978.[10]

In February 1990 he joined the Macedonian Forum for Preparation of a Macedonian National Program.[9] Gligorov actively participated in the work of this forum, which discussed the situation in the Yugoslav Federation and the possibilities for resolving the independence of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. Following the promulgation of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the State on January 25, 1991, Gligorov was elected as the president of SR Macedonia by the Macedonian Assembly on 27 January 1991, succeeding Vladimir Mitkov.[11][12] On 7 March, he entrusted the mandate to Nikola Kljusev to form the first government. In the same year, Gligorov along with Alija Izetbegović put forward the idea of a "Yugoslav confederation", but it was rejected by the other states.[13][14] After independence, he became the first President of the independent and sovereign Republic of Macedonia.[15] Afterwards, Gligorov worked towards gaining international recognition of Macedonia.[16][17]

In response to Macedonian political and diaspora organizations' claims of direct descent to Alexander the Great,[18] Gligorov stated several times that the ethnic Macedonians are unrelated to the ancient Macedonians, as well as that they are a South Slavic people.[19] In an interview with the Toronto Star on 15 March 1992, he said: "We are Macedonians but we are Slav Macedonians. That's who we are! We have no connection to Alexander the Great and his Macedonia. [...] Our ancestors came here in the 5th and 6th century (A.D)".[20] On 1992, he successfully negotiated the withdrawal of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) from Macedonian soil.[21]

As a result of the Macedonia naming dispute, the Republic of Macedonia was admitted into the United Nations under the reference "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". He delivered his first speech before the General Assembly of the United Nations on 7 April 1993.[9] In the general presidential election, he was re-elected President of the Republic by a majority of votes, on 16 October 1994. On 12 September 1995, he signed the Interim Accord for the normalization of relations with Greece at the United Nations Headquarters.[11] On 2 October, in Belgrade, he signed a recognition agreement with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In Helsinki, a solemn statement by Gligorov confirmed the accession of the Republic of Macedonia to the CSCE Final Document, on 29 May 1996. The election for Gligorov's successor took place only a few days before the end of his term. He served as the president until November 1999 and was succeeded by Boris Trajkovski.[22]

Assassination attempt
Assassination attempt

On 3 October 1995, Gligorov was the target of a car bomb assassination attempt in Skopje. While en route from his residence to his office, the vehicle carrying Gligorov was blown up by an explosion from a parked vehicle, killing his driver and a passer-by, as well as injuring several other passers-by and his security officer. Gligorov was seriously injured above his right eye and was immediately conveyed to the hospital.[23][24]

Since the incident there have been no suspects brought to book and no progress has been made in the investigation of the case.[25] However, there have been short-lived speculations as to who could be the culprits. Shortly after the bombing, the Minister of Internal Affairs Ljubomir Frčkovski publicly claimed that "a powerful multinational company from a neighbouring country" was behind the assassination attempt,[26] with the Macedonian media pointing at the Bulgarian Multigroup and the Yugoslav KOS as possible suspects.[26] During a meeting between Multigroup head Iliya Pavlov and Gligorov in Ohrid, Pavlov assured Gligorov that his organisation was not involved.[26] All investigations were futile.[26]

Gligorov was incapacitated until 17 November 1995. He got permanently blind in one eye and was facially scarred as a result.[27] Stojan Andov was acting president during Gligorov's recuperation.[28] After several months of treatment, on 10 January 1996, Gligorov returned to his presidency.

Personal life
Gligorov's grave at the Butel cemetery in Skopje.

Gligorov has won numerous international awards and recognitions for his successful, constructive management and regulation of the international relations of the Macedonian state. Following a speech at the University of Pittsburgh, the United States was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University on 21 September 1997. He was awarded the Mediterranean Peace Prize on 5 January 1998 in Naples. In 2011, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Macedonian Diaspora.[29]

In October 1943, Gligorov married Nada Misheva.[30] They had one son and two daughters. His son, Vladimir Gligorov, was one of the founders of the Democratic Party in Serbia.

Kiro Gligorov was the oldest Macedonian political official.[31] On 17 November 1999, when his second presidential term ended, he was 82 years old, and in 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records listed Gligorov as the world's oldest president.

Death

Gligorov died at the age of 94 in the early hours of 1 January 2012, in his sleep.[32] At his own request, the funeral was private with only his closest family in attendance. He was buried in Butel Municipality, Skopje.[33]

Honours

References
  1. Bideleux, Robert; Jeffries, Ian (2007-01-24). The Balkans: A Post-Communist History. ISBN 9781134583287.
  2. Sabrina P. Ramet et al., Building Democracy in the Yugoslav Successor States: Accomplishments, Setbacks, and Challenges since 1990, Cambridge University Press, 2017, ISBN 1107180740, p. 290.
  3. The European powers in the First World War: an encyclopedia, Spencer Tucker, Laura Matysek Wood, Taylor & Francis, 1996, ISBN 0-8153-0399-8, p. 150.
  4. "Kiro Gligorov, former Macedonian president, dies". The Washington Post. 9 January 2012.
  5. Проф. Яни Милчаков за политическата роля на Киро Глигоров. Българско национално радио, Радио Шумен, 04.01.2012.
  6. Цочо Билярски, Киро Глигоров, превъплащенията на един хамелеон. Сите българи заедно. 11 юли 2011.
  7. Late Macedonian President Gligorov Was 'Certified' Bulgarian, Novinite.com; January 3, 2012.
  8. Interview, "Utrinski vesnik" daily newspaper, issue 1497, August 31, 2006 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia Archived May 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Makedonska enciklopedija: A-LJ. MANU. 2009. pp. 365–366. ISBN 9786082030234.
  10. Lentz, Harris, ed. (2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. p. 527. ISBN 9781134264902.
  11. Wojciech Roszkowski; Jan Kofman (2016). Biographical Dictionary of Central and Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century. Routledge. p. 297. ISBN 9781317475941.
  12. Alice Ackermann (2000). Making Peace Prevail: Preventing Violent Conflict in Macedonia. Syracuse University Press. p. 58. ISBN 9780815628125.
  13. Dejan Djokić (2003). Yugoslavism: Histories of a Failed Idea, 1918-1992. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. pp. 112–123. ISBN 9781850656630.
  14. Dimitar Bechev (2019). Historical Dictionary of North Macedonia (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 128. ISBN 9781538119624.
  15. Fruhstorfer, Anna; Hein, Michael, eds. (12 October 2016). Constitutional Politics in Central and Eastern Europe: From Post-Socialist Transition to the Reform of Political Systems. Springer. p. 311. ISBN 9783658137625.
  16. Nikolaos Zahariadis (2005). Essence of Political Manipulation: Emotion, Institutions, & Greek Foreign Policy. Peter Lang. p. 88. ISBN 9780820479033.
  17. Michael Palairet (2016). Macedonia: A Voyage through History (Vol. 2, From the Fifteenth Century to the Present), Volume 2. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 319. ISBN 9781443888493.
  18. Constantine Buhayer (9 January 2012). "Kiro Gligorov: President of Macedonia throughout the Nineties". The Independent.
  19. LeBow, Richard; Dobos, Corina; Kansteiner, Wulf; Fogu, Claudio, eds. (December 2011). Politics of Memory in Post-Communist Europe. Zeta Books. p. 189. ISBN 9789731997865.
  20. Ridvan Peshkopia (2015). Conditioning Democratization: Institutional Reforms and EU Membership Conditionality in Albania and Macedonia. Anthem Press. pp. 183, 277. ISBN 9781783084227.
  21. Dimitar Bechev (2019). Historical Dictionary of North Macedonia (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 128. ISBN 9781538119624.
  22. Ramet, Sabrina; Hassenstab, Christine, eds. (2019). Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989. Cambridge University Press. pp. 363, 387. ISBN 9781108499910.
  23. Archived 2008-12-02 at the Wayback MachineOsservatorio Balcani e Caucaso
  24. "Macedonian President Injured in Assassination Attempt". AP News. 3 October 1995.
  25. "Kiro Gligorov, first elected president of Macedonia, dies at age 94". Toronto Star. Associated Press. 2 January 2012.
  26. "11th anniversary of assassination attempt on Gligorov, perpetrators unknown". MRT. 2006-10-03. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-10-22.
  27. "Kiro Gligorov, Macedonian independence leader dead". BBC News. 2 January 2012.
  28. Politics, Power and the Struggle for Democracy in South-East Europe, Karen Dawisha, Bruce Parrott, Cambridge University Press, 1997, ISBN 9780521597333, p. 247.
  29. "UMD presents Life Achievement award to first Macedonia". IDIVIDI.
  30. "Почина Нада Глигорова | Вечер". Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  31. "Eleven years since the death of President Kiro Gligorov". Sloboden Pečat. January 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  32. "Kiro Gligorov, Ex-Leader of Macedonia, Dies at 94". The New York Times. 3 January 2012.
  33. "Погребан претседателот Глигоров" (in Macedonian). 3 January 2012. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  34. "ДОСИЕ Киро Глигоров: државник кој преживеа атентат, љубовна афера и замина како голем човек!".
  35. "Сител Телевизија".
  36. "Anfragebeantwortung" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2017.
  37. "Македонија - Руски орден за Киро Глигоров". www.vest.mk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
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