Dimitar Kovačevski
Димитар Ковачевски
Kovačevski in 2023
10th Prime Minister of North Macedonia
Assumed office
16 January 2022
PresidentStevo Pendarovski
Preceded byZoran Zaev
Leader of the Social Democratic Union
Assumed office
12 December 2021
DeputyRadmila Šekerinska
Preceded byZoran Zaev
Personal details
Born (1974-07-24) 24 July 1974
Kumanovo, SR Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia
Political partySocial Democratic Union
ProfessionEconomist

Dimitar Kovačevski (Macedonian: Димитар Ковачевски, pronounced [di'mitar kɔ'vat͡ʃɛfski]; born 24 July 1974) is a Macedonian politician and economist serving as prime minister of North Macedonia since January 2022.[1]

A member and currently president of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, Kovačevski previously served as deputy finance minister from 2020 until his appointment as prime minister in 2022 after the resignation of Zoran Zaev.

Background

Kovačevski was born in Kumanovo. He is the son of Slobodan Kovačevski, mayor of Kumanovo from 2000 to 2005 and ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to Montenegro after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2006.[2] He completed high school education in Waterville, Minnesota, United States. In 1998 he graduated at the Faculty of Economics at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje and received a master's degree at the same Faculty in 2003. In 2008 he completed doctoral studies in economics at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Montenegro.

Kovačevski started his working career in 1998 at the Macedonian telecommunications company Makedonski Telekom. From 2005 to 2017 he held a number of managerial positions in the company. From 2017 to 2018 he was the executive director of A1 Macedonia (then known as one.Vip), a subsidiary of Telekom Austria Group.

Kovačevski was an assistant professor at two private universities in Skopje since 2012, first at the New York University of Skopje, and then at the Faculty of Business Economics and Management at University American College Skopje, where in 2018 he was elected associate professor.

In 2018, Kovačevski co-founded a private company, which opened the first domestic factory for the production of photovoltaic modules in North Macedonia.

He has been a member of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) since 1994.[3]

Political career

Kovačevski with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on 13 June 2022
Kovačevski with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Skopje on 30 October 2023

After the 2020 parliamentary elections in North Macedonia, Kovačevski was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance in Zoran Zaev's second government.[4] The parliament elected him to this position on 23 September 2020.[5]

Zaev announced his resignation as both prime minister and leader of the SDSM after a defeat in the 2021 local elections. This caused instability in the fragile ruling majority, which nevertheless survived a push from the opposition led by VMRO-DPMNE for a no-confidence vote.[6] In the aftermath, Zaev's government strengthened its majority in the parliament by gaining the support of four other MPs from Alternativa, which until then was in the opposition. Kovačevski accompanied Zaev during negotiations with Alternativa, which launched his name as Zaev's most likely successor.[7]

After Zaev officially resigned as president of the SDSM, Kovačevski won the internal party elections on 12 December 2021, leaving the other two candidates far behind in votes and succeeding Zaev as leader of the party.[8][9][10][11] He was sworn in as prime minister on 16 January 2022.[1][12]

References

  1. 1 2 "Собранието ја избра новата Влада, Ковачевски е премиер". Радио Слободна Европа (in Macedonian). 16 January 2022. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Кој е Димитар Ковачевски, најсериозниот кандидат за наследник на Заев?". Фокус (in Macedonian). 17 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "ИНТЕРВЈУ Димитар Ковачевски, претседател на СДСМ: Ќе барам одговорност за сработеното и во СДСМ и во Владата". SDSM (in Macedonian). 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Trkanjec, Zeljko (13 December 2021). "North Macedonia's biggest parties pick their leaders". www.euractiv.com.
  5. ↑ "Собранието ги изгласа и замениците-министри во владата на Заев". Сакам Да Кажам (in Macedonian). 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  6. ↑ "North Macedonia Govt Survives Threat, Hints at Boosting Majority". Balkan Insight. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  7. ↑ "North Macedonia Govt Solidifies Majority, Adding New Coalition Partner". Balkan Insight. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "North Macedonia Ruling Party Elects Dimitar Kovacevski as Leader". Balkan Insight. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  9. ↑ "Dimitar Kovachevski on course to become North Macedonia's new prime minister". Politico. 12 December 2021. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  10. ↑ "Ковачевски - Новата влада најдоцна до 18 јануари". Радио Слободна Европа (in Macedonian). 27 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "North Macedonia's Lawmakers Elect Dimitar Kovacevski As New PM". Radio Free Europe. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Kovačevski preuzeo funkciju premijera Severne Makedonije". N1 (in Serbian). 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
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