Name Davor Bernardic | Role Croatian Politician | |
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Similar People Milan Bandic, Rajko Ostojic, Gordan Maras, Darinko Kosor, Mirando Mrsic | ||
Ko je Davor Bernardić?
Davor Bernardić (born 5 January 1980) is a Croatian physicist and politician who has been the president of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) and Leader of the Opposition since 26 November 2016. He had previously served as the one of four SDP Vice-presidents, leader of the SDP's Zagreb branch and president of the SDP Youth Forum. Bernardić has been elected to the Croatian Parliament four times, representing the 1st electoral district.
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Early life and education
Davor Bernardić was born in Zagreb on January 5, 1980 to civil servant Damir and nurse Dragica (née Tešo) Bernardić. His grandfather's brother from the fathers side Ivan Bernardić was a notable member of the Croatian Peasant Party who was sentenced to long-term prison sentences in Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the so-called Independent State of Croatia and SFR Yugoslavia because of his political activism. His grandfather Josip was also prosecuted by the communists so he had to emigrate to Austria where he died. His mothers parents were members of the Yugoslav Partisans. Having grown up in modest circumstances and wanting to help his parents financially by learning vocation, after finishing elementary school he enrolled in the Technical Vocational High School Nikola Tesla. He showed interest in mathematics and physics and in had 1996 become national champion in physics and competed for International Physics Olympics. At the national competition in 1997 he came in second, and in 1998 national championship first. He started working at the age of 14. His father was participant of the Croatian War of Independence, and died in 1998. After finishing high school, Bernardić enrolled in the Zagreb Faculty of Science and since he was one of the best students he got a Nacional weekly scholarship which was handed to him by the Prime Minister Ivica Račan. He was proclaimed a top student during his studies. In 2009, he became a research fellow at the postgraduate doctoral studies of physics at the Zagreb Faculty of Science. He also reported doctoral thesis in the Senate of the University of Zagreb, at the Zagreb Faculty of Economics and Business, on the topic of economics education with specialization in urban economics.
Political career
After becoming involved in politics in 1998 by joining SDP at the age of 18, Bernardić was at first sticking posters, handing out leaflets and writing graffiti during party campaigns. He was actively involved in the SDP's Zagreb branch by having served as President of the Youth Forum branch (2005-2007), member of the Executive Board (2005-2009) and member of the Zagreb City Assembly (2007-2009). From 2008 to 2010, Bernardić served as president of SDP Youth Forum, and from 2008 to 2012 member of the SDP's Main Board. On May 5, 2010, Bernardić defeated Ivo Jelušić (at the time deputy mayor of Zagreb), winning 63.3% of the votes of those SDP members who cast their votes, and had become leader of the SDP's Zagreb branch. He also served as President of the SDP's Councilor Club in the Zagreb City Assembly. On October 20, 2013, he was re-elected as head of SDP's Zagreb branch.
Bernardić got involved in the national politics in 2008 when he became MP by replacing Milan Bandić who was at the time still an SDP member. He was re-elected to the Parliament in the 2011, 2015, and 2016 parliamentary elections.
Private life
Davor Bernardić married economist Irena Coljak on April 29, 2011. During high school, he played basketball, judo, karate and kung-fu. He speaks English, and is learning French.
Bernardić is a Roman Catholic who believes that the faith is a personal matter, and that everyone should be free to express it in, according to themselves, the most appropriate manner, adding that social democrats should stand for solidarity, human dignity and equality "which are the values on which Christian doctrine in based." He pilgrimages to Marija Bistrica.