Wikipedia

Aleksandar Martinović

Aleksandar Martinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Мартиновић; born 15 June 1976) is a Serbian academic and politician. He has been a cabinet minister in the Serbian government since 2022 and is the current minister of agriculture, forestry, and water economy. Before his appointment to cabinet, he served several terms in the Serbian parliament.

Aleksandar Martinović
Александар Мартиновић
Martinović in 2024
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 May 2024
Prime MinisterMiloš Vučević
Preceded byJelena Tanasković
Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government
In office
26 October 2022 – 2 May 2024
Prime Minister
Preceded byMarija Obradović
Succeeded byJelena Žarić Kovačević
Parliamentary leader of the Serbian Progressive Party/Aleksandar Vučić — For Our Children caucus
In office
3 June 2016 – 1 August 2022
Preceded byZoran Babić
Succeeded byMilenko Jovanov
Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
In office
16 April 2014 – 25 October 2022
In office
14 February 2007 – 31 May 2012
Personal details
Born (1976-06-15) 15 June 1976 (age 48)
Slavonski Brod, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Political partySRS (1997–2012)
SNS (2012–present)
Alma materUniversity of Novi Sad

Formerly a prominent figure in the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Martinović has been a member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012.

Early life and career

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Martinović was born in Slavonski Brod, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He graduated from the University of Novi Sad's law faculty in 1999 and later received a master's degree (2003) and a doctorate (2011) from the same institution. He has been employed in the faculty since 2001, working in the field of constitutional law.[1] Martinović lives in Ruma in southwestern Vojvodina.

Politician

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Early years in the Serbian Radical Party (2004–08)

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Local politics in Ruma

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The Radical Party won twenty out of forty-three seats in Ruma in the 2004 Serbian local elections and afterward formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Martinović served on the municipal council (i.e., the executive branch of the municipal government) in the term that followed and chaired the SRS board in Ruma during this time.[2][3]

In 2007, three SRS delegates in the municipal assembly left the party and allowed the opposition Democratic Party (DS) to form a new administration. The SRS-led coalition refused to cede power, leading to a chaotic situation in which both sides claimed to be the municipality's legitimate government.[4][5] In March 2008, the Serbian government appointed a provisional municipal administration that did not include the Radicals.[6]

The 2008 local elections in Ruma continued the stalemate, with both the DS and the SRS winning eighteen seats. In June 2008, Martinović and local DSS leader Dragan Božić announced a new coalition that would have had a one-seat majority in the municipal assembly.[7] The coalition never came to power; one Radical delegate mysteriously disappeared from the area, and the DSS later withdrew its support. The DS's attempts to form a coalition with the DSS and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) also failed, and the assembly was dissolved for a repeat election in November.[8] By the time the vote took place, the Radical Party had split.

Parliamentarian

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Martinović received the seventy-fifth position on the Radical Party's electoral list in the 2007 Serbian parliamentary election and was given a mandate when the list won eighty-one seats.[9][10] (From 2000 to 2011, Serbian parliamentary mandates were awarded to sponsoring parties or coalitions rather than to individual candidates, and it was common practice for the mandates to be assigned out of numerical order. Martinović did not automatically receive a mandate by virtue of his list position.)[11] Although the Radicals won more seats than any other party, they fell well short of a majority and ultimately served in opposition. In his first assembly term, Martinović was a member of the committee for constitutional affairs, the legislative committee, and the committee for science and technological development.[12]

He was promoted to the twenty-third position on the Radical Party's list for the 2008 parliamentary election and was again chosen for a mandate when the list won seventy-eight seats.[13] While the overall results of the election were inconclusive, the For a European Serbia alliance led by the DS ultimately formed a coalition government with the Socialist Party, and the Radicals remained in opposition. Martinović served on the committee for constitutional affairs, the legislative committee, and the administrative committee.[14][15]

Radical Party member after the 2008 split (2008–12)

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The Radicals experienced a serious split in late 2008, with several members joining the more moderate Serbian Progressive Party under the leadership of Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić. Martinović initially remained with the Radicals and was given a more prominent role in the party.

Local and provincial politics

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The Radical Party lost the repeat election in Ruma in November 2008, winning only four seats.[16] Martinović led the party's group in the municipal assembly for the term that followed.[17] He was re-elected at the head of the SRS list in the 2012 Serbian local elections, in which the party increased its representation to seven seats.[18]

Martinović was also the Radical Party's candidate for the Ruma constituency seat in the 2012 Vojvodina provincial election. He finished third.

Parliamentarian

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Martinović strongly opposed a late 2008 draft of the Statute of Vojvodina, saying it was designed to "suppress the Serbian identity" of the province and describing its preamble as "characteristic of a constitution of an independent state."[19] The following year, he opposed an anti-discrimination bill that offered protection to LGBTQ citizens, charging that it amounted to a "persecution of Christians."[20]

He became deputy leader of the Radical Party's parliamentary group in 2009, and some journalists noted that group leader Dragan Todorović was gradually giving him a larger role in the assembly.[21] In late 2009, he travelled to the Netherlands for his first meeting with SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj, who was then facing war crimes charges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. In an interview prior to the meeting, Martinović acknowledged that he had risen to a leading role in the party in a short period of time.[22]

Martinović was appointed as a vice-president of the Radical Party in April 2010. Later in the year, he called for the government of Serbia to reject any direct negotiations with Hashim Thaçi, prime minister of the disputed Republic of Kosovo, on the grounds that direct talks would confer legitimacy on Thaçi's government.[23]

In 2011, Martinović said that the Radical Party could not achieve power on its own at the republic level and should join a coalition with the DS, the DSS, or the SPS. Todorović declined to comment on this statement.[24]

Serbia's electoral system was reformed in 2011, such that all parliamentary mandates were awarded to candidates on successful lists in numerical order.[25] Martinović received the second position on the Radical Party's list, behind Šešelj, in the 2012 parliamentary election.[26] The party's local leadership in Serbia also sought to nominate Martinović in the concurrent presidential election, but Šešelj overrode their decision and selected his largely apolitical wife Jadranka for the role.[27] She received less than four per cent of the vote in the presidential contest, finishing seventh, while the party lost its assembly representation by falling below the electoral threshold in the parliamentary vote. The Progressive Party and its allies won the greatest number of seats and afterward formed a coalition government with the SPS and other parties.

Serbian Progressive Party (2012–present)

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Increasingly dissatisfied with the direction of the Radicals, Martinović left the party to join the Progressives on 4 July 2012. He was appointed as chair of Serbia's privatization agency and as chair of the Galenika supervisory board in 2013, holding both positions until his return to parliament the following year.[28]

Local politics

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Martinović became president (i.e., speaker) of the Ruma municipal assembly in November 2013 and served in the role for the remainder of the term.[29][30] He headed the SNS list for Ruma in the 2016 Serbian local elections and was re-elected when the list won a majority victory with twenty-six out of forty-three seats.[31][32] Martinović led his party's group in the local assembly for the term that followed and was not a candidate in the 2020 local elections.[33]

Parliamentarian

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Martinović received the nineteenth position on the Progressive Party's Future We Believe In list in the 2014 parliamentary election and was re-elected when the list won a landslide victory with 158 out of 250 mandates.[34]In the term that followed, he was vice-president of the SNS parliamentary group and chair of the assembly committee on legislative and constitutional issues. He was also a member of the judiciary committee,[a] a deputy member of the security services control committee, a member of Serbia's delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the head of Serbia's parliamentary friendship group with Russia.[35][36][37] In May 2014, he endorsed a new Vojvodina statute that affirmed both the province's autonomy and its indivisibility from Serbia.[38]

Martinović was promoted to the seventh position on the SNS list in the 2016 parliamentary election and was re-elected when the list won 131 mandates.[39] He served afterward as leader of the SNS parliamentary group and chair of the administrative committee,[b] and was a member of the judiciary committee, the head of the parliamentary friendship group with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a member of the friendship group with Russia.[40] He endorsed Ana Brnabić as Serbia's new prime minister in June 2017, saying that she would continue a path of integration with the European Union while also seeking stronger connections with Russia and China.[41]

On 19 July 2018, while speaking in favour of a proposed new law on organ transplantation, he contended that, "once a person dies, he (or she) is no longer owner of properties, nor his body organs."[42]

Martinović and fellow SNS parliamentarian Sandra Božić went on a two-day hunger strike in May 2020 to protest what they described as the inaction of Serbia's prosecution and judiciary against the violent behaviour of Dveri leader Boško Obradović.[43] The strike ended when Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić urged them to call it off.[44]

Martinović was given the twentieth position on the Progressive Party's For Our Children list in the 2020 Serbian parliamentary election and was elected to a fifth term when the list won a landslide majority with 188 mandates.[45] He led the For Our Children assembly group in the term followed and continued to chair the administrative committee, serve on the judiciary committee, and lead the friendship group with Bosnia and Herzegovina.[46] He received the nineteenth position on the SNS list for the 2022 Serbian parliamentary election and was again re-elected when the list won a plurality victory with 120 seats.[47]

Cabinet minister

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Martinović became Serbia's minister of public administration and local self-government in Ana Brnabić's ministry on 26 October 2022.[48] By virtue of accepting this position, he was required to resign his seat in the national assembly.[49]

While making a presentation to the national assembly in July 2023, Martinović said that he had three children and criticized those parliamentarians who "instead of children, feed dogs, kittens, goldfish, and so on." He specifically lashed out at Democratic Party delegate Srđan Milivojević for not having children. This led to an uproar in the assembly and prompted widespread criticism.[50] Martinović later apologized, saying, "I did not intend to offend the citizens of the Republic of Serbia who do not or cannot have children, and I believe that my speech was interpreted in a completely wrong way."[51]

In August 2023, Martinović promised that the entire territory of Serbia would have access to broadband internet by the end of 2025.[52] He rejected accusations of discrimination against Albanians in Serbia later in the year, saying his ministry was applying the law in an equal manner to all citizens.[53]

Miloš Vučević's succeeded Brnabić as prime minister in May 2024, and Martinović was appointed as Serbia's minister of agriculture in the new administration.[54] In early June 2024, he announced that an agreement on the purchase price of raspberries had been reached with a majority of producers and buyers. Some farmers contended that the price was too low and threatened job action.[55] Martinović also held negotiations over unpaid subsidies and the purchase price of milk early in his term.[56] On 18 July 2024, the Serbian government reached an agreement with seven agricultural organizations on prices and other matters.[57]

In August 2024, Martinović said that Rio Tinto's proposed mining of jadarite in Gornje Nedeljice would not pose a problem for agriculture, citing a study produced by his ministry. He added that the study had been requested by a private company. When asked if the company was Rio Tinto, he did not respond.[58]

Electoral record

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Provincial (Vojvodina)

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2012 Vojvodina provincial election: Ruma
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Nenad Borović (incumbent)Choice for a Better Vojvodina–Bojan Pajtic (Affiliation: Democratic Party)7,38928.8811,40551.67
Rada MaravićLet's Get Vojvodina Moving–Tomislav Nikolić (Serbian Progressive Party, New Serbia, Movement of Socialists, Strength of Serbia Movement) (Affiliation: Serbian Progressive Party)5,69422.2610,66748.33
Aleksandar MartinovićSerbian Radical Party5,19520.30
Milutin Hadži StojkovićSocialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS), United Serbia (JS), Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDP Serbia) (Affiliation: Socialist Party of Serbia)3,48613.63
Dejan BožićLeague of Social Democrats of Vojvodina–Nenad Čanak2,69510.53
Slobodan KosanovićU-Turn1,1264.40
Total25,585100.0022,072100.00
Source: [59]

Notes

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  1. ^ Formally known as the Committee on the Judiciary, Public Administration, and Local Self-Government.
  2. ^ Formally known as the Committee on Administrative, Budgetary, Mandate, and Immunity Issues.

References

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  1. ^ Александар Мартиновић; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management; Government of Serbia; accessed 11 June 2024.
  2. ^ Direktorijum lokalnih samouprava u Srbiji, Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CESID), September 2005, p. 294. This source erroneously lists his year of birth as 1960.
  3. ^ Velika Srbija [Serbian Radical Party publication], Volume 17 Number 2584 (Ruma, August 2006), p. 8.
  4. ^ Dragan Todorović, "Vlast i pečati", Vreme, 22 November 2007, accessed 6 April 2021.
  5. ^ J. Slatinac, "Tuča u Gradskoj kući u Rumi", Politika, 9 October 2007, accessed 6 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Grad nepovratno izgubio pola godine", Danas, 24 March 2008, accessed 6 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Za jedan glas više od demokrata i SPS", Blic, 18 June 2008, accessed 21 August 2023.
  8. ^ B.B. Mijić, "Socijalisti izdali demokrate", Novosti, 17 July 2018, accessed 21 August 2023.
  9. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. јануара и 8. фебрауара 2007. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (4 Српска радикална странка - др Војислав Шешељ), Archived 2021-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024.
  10. ^ 14 February 2007 legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 5 March 2017.
  11. ^ Serbia's Law on the Election of Representatives (2000) stipulated that parliamentary mandates would be awarded to electoral lists (Article 80) that crossed the electoral threshold (Article 81), that mandates would be given to candidates appearing on the relevant lists (Article 83), and that the submitters of the lists were responsible for selecting their parliamentary delegations within ten days of the final results being published (Article 84). See Law on the Election of Representatives, Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 35/2000, made available via LegislationOnline, Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 13 April 2024.
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  16. ^ Lokalni Izbori 2008; Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; p. 48.
  17. ^ СПИСАК ОДБОРНИКА СА АДРЕСАМА И СТРУЧНОМ СПРЕМОМ, Archived 2012-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  18. ^ СПИСАК ОДБОРНИКА СА АДРЕСАМА И СТРУЧНОМ СПРЕМОМ, Archived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Vojvodina's draft statute aimed at "suppressing the Serbian identity" - party," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 6 October 2008 (Source: Vecernje novosti, Belgrade, in Serbian 3 Oct 08).
  20. ^ "Serbian Radical MPs distribute anti-gay posters in parliament," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 March 2009 (Source: Radio B92 text website, Belgrade, in English 1628 gmt 19 Mar 09; B92 TV, Belgrade, in Serbian, 19 Mar 09; Danas, Belgrade, in Serbian 20 Mar 09; Beta Week, Belgrade, in English 13 Mar 09).
  21. ^ "Serbian Radicals' official denies "conflict" as "young lion" gains prominence," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 25 December 2009 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 23 Dec 09).
  22. ^ "Serbian Radical Party deputy leader not to use visit to Seselj to climb to top," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 November 2009.
  23. ^ "Serbian officials view how Marty's report could affect start of Kosovo talks," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 December 2010 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 17 Dec 10).
  24. ^ "Highlights from Serbian press 8 Apr 11," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 8 April 2011 (Source: Politika).
  25. ^ Law on the Election of Members of the Parliament (2000, as amended 2011) (Articles 88 & 92) made available via LegislationOnline, Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 6 June 2021.
  26. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине, 6. мај 2012. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (2 СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - ДР ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ), Archived 2021-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 13 April 2024.
  27. ^ "Serbian Radical Party leader nominates spouse as presidential candidate - daily," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 6 April 2012 (Source: Blic website, Belgrade, in Serbian 6 Apr 12).
  28. ^ ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 30 November 2017.
  29. ^ "Promena vlasti u Rumi", RTV Stara Pazova, 26 November 2013, accessed 3 August 2023.
  30. ^ Председник Скупштине општине Рума, Archived 2016-03-23 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  31. ^ Општинска изборна комисија, Archived 2016-03-27 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
  32. ^ Lokalni Izbori – Republika Srbija; Lokalni Izbori 2016; Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; p. 48.
  33. ^ Aleksandar Martinović, istinomer.rs, accessed 3 August 2023.
  34. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 16. и 23. марта 2014. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (1 ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ - BUDUĆNOST U KOJU VERUJEMO), Archived 2021-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024.
  35. ^ "OSCE/ODIHR facilitates workshop on finalization of roadmap to reform legislative process in Serbia," ForeignAffairs.co.nz, 27 November 2014.
  36. ^ Poslanička grupa Srpska napredna stranka Saziv od 16. aprila 2014. godine), National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 5 December 2020.
  37. ^ ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  38. ^ "Serbian parliament approves amended Vojvodina statute," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 23 May 2014 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 0000 gmt 21 May 14).
  39. ^ Избори за народне посланике 2016. године – Изборне листе (1 АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ - СРБИЈА ПОБЕЂУЈЕ), Archived 2021-04-26 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024.
  40. ^ ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Archived 2019-08-12 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  41. ^ "Dozens of Serbia gays say election of gay PM to be historic," Canadian Press, 24 June 2017.
  42. ^ Gedošević, Lana (20 July 2018). "Kad Martinović "brani" zakon: "Čovek kada umre, nije vlasnik bilo čega, pa ni svojih organa"". blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  43. ^ SANDRA BOŽIĆ, Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 5 December 2020.
  44. ^ "Sandra Božić prekinula štrajk glađu", Danas, 11 May 2020, accessed 5 December 2020.
  45. ^ "Ko je sve na listi SNS za republičke poslanike?", Danas, 6 March 2020, accessed 30 June 2020.
  46. ^ ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Archived 2021-10-27 at the Wayback Machine, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  47. ^ "Ko su kandidati SNS za narodne poslanike?", Danas, 17 February 2022, accessed 17 April 2022.
  48. ^ "Izglasana nova Vlada Srbije, premijerka i ministri položili zakletvu", Radio Television of Serbia, 26 October 2022, accessed 3 August 2023.
  49. ^ Current Legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
  50. ^ "Martinović prozivao opozicione poslanike koji nemaju decu: Ja 'hranim troje', a neki drugi hrane pse i mačke", Danas, 4 July 2023, accessed 3 September 2023.
  51. ^ "Oglasio se Martinović: Izvinjavam se građanima i predsedniku Vučiću", Danas, 6 July 2023, accessed 3 September 2023.
  52. ^ "Aleksandar Martinović: Širokopojasni internet na celoj teritoriji Srbije do kraja 2025.", Danas, 22 August 2023, accessed 3 September 2023.
  53. ^ "Martinović: Netačni navodi o diskriminaciji Albanaca na jugu Srbije", Danas, 1 December 2023, accessed 11 June 2024.
  54. ^ "Aleksandar Martinović preuzeo dužnost ministra poljoprivrede", Radio Television of Vojvodina, 7 February 2024, accessed 11 June 2024.
  55. ^ "Ministar poljoprivrede proglasio dogovor sa malinarima sa otkupnom cenom od 250 dinara, u Arilju spremaju protest u nedelju", Danas, 7 June 2024, accessed 11 June 2024.
  56. ^ "Poljoprivrednici se sutra sastaju sa ministrom: Razgovor o neisplaćenim subvencijama i otkupu mleka", Danas, 4 June 2024, accessed 11 June 2024.
  57. ^ "Postignut dogovor između Vlade i poljoprivrednika", Danas, 18 July 2024.
  58. ^ "'Poljoprivreda neće imati problem ako Rio Tinto bude kopao': Martinović čitao studiju o litijumu, ne sme da oda ko je napisao", Danas, 20 August 2024, accessed 1 October 2024.
  59. ^ Резултати избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине по већинском изборном систему (44 Рума) (2012), Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 14 April 2018.
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