Siniša Hajdaš Dončić
Siniša Hajdaš Dončić | |
|---|---|
Hajdaš Dončić in 2016 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| Assumed office 21 September 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Andrej Plenković |
| Preceded by | Peđa Grbin |
| President of the Social Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 21 September 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Peđa Grbin |
| Member of the Croatian Parliament for the 3rd constituency | |
| Assumed office 22 December 2011 | |
| Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure | |
| In office 18 April 2012 – 22 January 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | Zoran Milanović |
| Preceded by | Zlatko Komadina |
| Succeeded by | Oleg Butković |
| Prefect of the Krapina-Zagorje County | |
| In office 8 June 2009 – 18 April 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Sonja Borovčak |
| Succeeded by | Željko Kolar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 June 1974 |
| Party | Social Democratic Party (2005–present) |
| Spouse |
Martina Hajdaš Dončić
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Zagreb University of Split |
Siniša Hajdaš Dončić (né Hajdaš; born 29 June 1974) is a Croatian politician serving as president of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), and as Leader of the Opposition, since September 2024.
He previously served as Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure from 2012 to 2016 in the Cabinet of Zoran Milanović. Before that, he served as Prefect of the Krapina-Zagorje County in northern Croatia from 2009 to 2012.
Early life and education
Hajdaš Dončić was born in the small town of Zabok, Yugoslavia, in modern-day Croatia, on 29 June 1974. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business (EFZG) at the University of Zagreb in 1999. He finished postgraduate studies in 2002, and defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Split in 2012.[1]
In the 1990s, he would go to Philadelphia during summers with the help of his cousin who worked in the United States. After having a culture shock, Hajdaš Dončić wanted to study in the country, but was forced to come back to Croatia due to a lack of funds.[2]
Career
Hajdaš Dončić has been a lecturer at the Professional Business School of Higher Education LIBERTAS and at the college for business and management Baltazar Adam Krčelić in Zagreb since 2002.
From 2002 until 2006, he was head of the department for economy, agriculture and tourism in Krapina-Zagorje County. From 2006 to 2009, he was the director of the Zagorje Development Agency (Croatian: Zagorska razvojna agencija).[1]
He joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2005, and quickly became a member of the Main Committee in 2007. In 2009, he became the party's president for the Krapina-Zagorje County, where he would serve as Prefect between June 2009 and April 2012. He left his position early to serve as Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure in the Cabinet of Zoran Milanović from April 2012 until January 2016.[2][3] He would also become member of the Croatian Parliament in 2011, a position he holds to this day.[4]
In September 2024, he became president of the SDP, succeeding Peđa Grbin as Leader of the Opposition.[5]
Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure
Hajdaš-Dončić was the second Minister of Transport in the Milanović government, succeeding Zlatko Komadina. Komadina resigned three months after taking office, citing health problems.[6] After being sworn in on 18 April 2012, Hajdaš Dončić said that his mandate “will be imbued with determination, transparency and the introduction of order in all departments covered by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure”.[7][8]
In December 2012, Hajdaš Dončić was at the opening of the 16.1 km (10.0 mi) Vrgorac – Karamatići section of the A1 motorway and 7.5 km (4.7 mi) Metković interchange – border with Bosnia and Herzegovina section of the A10 motorway.[9] Construction started under the previous government, during Božidar Kalmeta’s mandate.[10] The opening took place alongside a small protest from the residents of nearby villages.[11]
Personal life
Siniša Hajdaš Dončić is married to Martina Hajdaš Dončić since 2003, with whom he has two children. He met her, who was also an activist, at a festival in Krapina. To show his appreciation, he added her surname to his own, an unusual practice in Croatia.[12] He was once a member of the Croatian Democratic Union, for which he said it was his father's fault and that he wasn't active.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Asipi, Emirat (21 September 2024). "Tko je novi šef partije? Bio je u HDZ-u, ima bujnu imovinu, a na svadbi je obukao i vjenčanicu..." [Who is the new party leader? He was in HDZ, has extensive assets, and even wore a wedding dress to his wedding...]. www.24sata.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ a b Rebac, Iva (21 September 2024). "Tko je novi šef SDP-a? Zagorski pajdaš brz na jeziku, a ženu voli toliko da je uzeo njezino prezime" [Who is the new head of the SDP? The Zagorje man is quick-witted, and he loves his wife so much that he took her last name]. net.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Siniša Hajdaš Dončić". vlada.gov.hr. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Hajdaš Dončić, Siniša". www.sabor.hr. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Hajdaš Dončić je novi predsjednik SDP-a". Index.hr (in Croatian). 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ Bago, Mislav (4 April 2012). "Ministar Komadina podnio ostavku! Milanović: Nije Žuta Lokva, nego zdravlje". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Siniša Hajdaš Dončić novi ministar pomorstva, prometa i infrastrukture: 'Planiram krenuti vrlo odlučno'!". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 18 April 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ Ćimić, Ilko (26 December 2025). "Hajdaš Dončić želi biti premijer. Sjetimo se kakav je bio kao ministar". dev2.index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Otvorena dionica autoceste Vrgorac – čvor Ploče – Karamatići". Novi list (in Croatian). 20 December 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "GOTOVA U STUDENOM Provozali smo se autocestom od Vrgorca do Ploča". Dubrovački dnevnik (in Croatian). 23 October 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ "Dva prosvjeda za vrijeme otvaranja dionice autoceste Vrgorac-čvor Ploče-Karamatići". Poslovni dnevnik (in Croatian). 20 December 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ Pokrajac, Silvia (14 April 2024). "Siniša Hajdaš Dončić na svom vjenčanju nije nosio odijelo: 'Malo sam ih šokirao'" [Sinša Hajdaš Dončić did not wear a suit at his wedding: 'I shocked them a little']. net.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 11 March 2026.
External links
- Media related to Siniša Hajdaš Dončić at Wikimedia Commons