Radmila Šekerinska

Radmila Šekerinska Jankovska (Macedonian: Радмила Шекеринска Јанковска [ˈradmila ʃɛˈkɛrinska] (listen); born 10 June 1972) is the current defense minister of North Macedonia and a former leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM). Šekerinska was previously Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and National Coordinator for Foreign Assistance of North Macedonia and also was the acting Prime Minister of North Macedonia from 12 May 2004 until 12 June 2004 and from 3 November 2004 until 15 December 2004. She was elected 5 November 2006 the SDUM leader.[1]

Radmila Šekerinska Радмила Шекеринска
Šekerinska in 2018
Minister of Defense of North Macedonia
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 June 2017
Prime Minister	Zoran Zaev
Preceded by	Zoran Jolevski
Prime Minister of Macedonia Acting
In office 18 November 2004 – 17 December 2004
President	Branko Crvenkovski
Preceded by	Hari Kostov
Succeeded by	Vlado Bučkovski
In office 12 May 2004 – 2 June 2004
President	Branko Crvenkovski
Preceded by	Branko Crvenkovski
Succeeded by	Hari Kostov
Personal details
Born	(1972-06-10) 10 June 1972 Skopje, SR Macedonia, Yugoslavia
Political party	Social Democratic Union
Alma mater	University of Skopje Tufts University

Šekerinska was elected President of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia at the party Congress following a no-confidence motion against the former leader Vlado Bučkovski. She left the position after September 2008 party congress. Zoran Zaev was appointed as her successor until May 2009, when president Branko Crvenkovski's term ended.[2]

During her term as a deputy Prime Minister responsible for European Affairs, the European Council, in December 2005, granted North Macedonia a status of candidate country for accession to the European Union.[3]

Early life and education

Šekerinska holds a Master's Degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, which she obtained in 2007. She graduated in 1995 from Skopje's Faculty of Electrical Engineering with a degree in Power Engineering.

Political career

Šekerinska became involved in the Open Society Institute of George Soros and in 1996 won a seat on Skopje City Council, which she held until she was elected to the Macedonian parliament in 1998. She subsequently became the deputy chairwoman of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM). She is a member of the presidency of the Party of European Socialists with which the SDSM is associated.

From 1997 to 2002 Šekerinska worked as an assistant at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Skopje, while in 1998 she was elected for a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia . She was elected for a deputy coordinator of the parliamentary group of the Social-Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDUM) and was a member of several parliamentary committees.

Šekerinska received a second mandate as an MP at the parliamentary elections in 2002, when she was immediately assigned Vice Premier of the Republic of Macedonia responsible for European integration.

Šekerinska served as spokeswoman in Crvenkovski's successful campaign for the Macedonian presidency during March–April 2004. She then served as acting prime minister for three weeks after Crvenkovski resigned to become president. Šekerinska was reappointed deputy prime minister in the government of Crvenkovski's successor as prime minister, Hari Kostov, on 3 June 2004.

Šekerinska is an author of a number of scientific and expert works.[4]

On 1 May 2018, Šekerinska and U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis met at the Pentagon in Virginia to discuss the defense relationship between Macedonia and the United States.[5] Additionally, the two discussed the naming dispute between Macedonia and Greece preventing the former's accession into the EU and NATO, as well as Macedonia's commitment to achieving 2% spending of GDP on defense.[6]

Other activities

• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Member[7]

Recognition

Šekerinska is a winner of "Global Leaders of Tomorrow" Prize, awarded under auspices of the World Economic Forum.[8]

Notes

1. "Sekerinska elected leader of Macedonia's main opposition party". Retrieved 28 June 2017.
2. SDSM elects new president, SETimes
3. "European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - EUROPEAN COUNCIL BRUSSELS
   15 & 16 December 2005
   PRESIDENCY CONCLUSIONS". europa.eu. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
4. "Radmila Šekerinska - Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
5. "NATO Hold Line Afghanistan Secretary Mattis". www.c-span.org. May 1, 2018.
6. "Mattis, Macedonian Defense Minister Reaffirm Defense Relationship". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
7. Members European Council on Foreign Relations.
8. "Социјалдемократски Сојуз на Македонија". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2017.

External links

• Šekerinska's profile on the government's official website (in English)
• "Sekerinska elected leader of Macedonia's main opposition party" 6 November 2006 on setimes.com (in English)
• Women Prime Ministers 1945 - 2007 (in English)

Political offices
Preceded by Branko Crvenkovski	Prime Minister of Macedonia Acting 2004	Succeeded by Hari Kostov
Preceded by Hari Kostov	Prime Minister of Macedonia Acting 2004	Succeeded by Vlado Bučkovski