Filip Vujanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Филип Вујановић) (born September 1, 1954 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a politician who since 2003 has served as the President of Montenegro, and is the first president of the world's newest country from May 2006.
Early life and career
Born and raised in Belgrade, Vujanović graduated from the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Law. Between 1978 and 1981 he worked in one of the city's Municipal Courts, and later also as an assistant at the Belgrade District Court.
In 1981 at the age of 27, he moved to Titograd. Following a short stint as secretary at Titograd's District Court, he worked as a lawyer until entering politics in March 1993.
Career in politics
Vujanović served as Prime Minister of Montenegro from February 5, 1998 until January 8, 2003. On November 5, 2002, he became speaker of the Montenegrin parliament, a position which, starting on November 25, 2002, made him acting president of Montenegro due to the resignation of Milo Đukanović from the presidency in order to prepare to replace Vujanović as prime minister. Vujanović ran in the December 2002 presidential elections and won a landslide victory, receiving 86% of the vote, but the election was ruled to be invalid because turnout was less than 50%. The elections were held again in February 2003, with Vujanović winning 81% of the vote, but again turnout was below 50%. The elections were held for a third time on May 11, 2003, with the minimum turnout rule abolished, and Vujanović won again with 63% of the vote. Vujanović resigned from his positions as speaker and acting president on May 19, but became president of Montenegro again three days later when his term began.
As president of Montenegro, Vujanović was a supporter of the Montenegro independence referendum, though Prime Minister Đukanović was much more high-profile in his campaign for it. Vujanović’s messages often focus on Montenegro’s and Serbia’s ability to have a peaceful separation and post-independence cooperation, and he is friends with Serbian president Boris Tadić.
He is married and has two daughters and a son. Unlike Đukanović, he refuses to have bodyguards, so he can be often seen walking the streets of Podgorica with his friends, but no security. |