Nikola Špirić

Nikola Špirić (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Шпирић, pronounced [nǐkola ʃpǐːrit͡ɕ]; born 4 September 1956) is a Bosnian Serb politician who was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 11 January 2007 until 12 January 2012.

Nikola Špirić
Никола Шпирић
Špirić in 2010
Member of the House of Peoples
Assumed office
25 February 2019
In office
14 October 2000 – 28 October 2002
Minister of Finance and Treasury
In office
12 January 2012 – 31 March 2015
Prime MinisterVjekoslav Bevanda
Preceded byDragan Vrankić
Succeeded byVjekoslav Bevanda
7th Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office
11 January 2007 – 12 January 2012
PresidentNebojša Radmanović
Željko Komšić
Haris Silajdžić
Preceded byAdnan Terzić
Succeeded byVjekoslav Bevanda
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
28 October 2002 – 11 January 2007
Personal details
Born (1956-09-04) 4 September 1956
Drvar, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia
NationalityBosnian Serb
Political partyAlliance of Independent Social Democrats
Other political
affiliations		Party of Democratic Progress
Spouse(s)Nada Špirić
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Sarajevo
Signature

He was also the Minister of Finance and Treasury and since 2019 has been a member of the national House of Peoples.

Early life and education

Born in Drvar, Špirić completed elementary education in his hometown, high school in Sarajevo, and his undergraduate and postgraduate education at the University of Sarajevo. He holds a Ph.D. in economics. His doctoral thesis was in monetary and public finance.

Career

Špirić has been an economics professor at the University of Banja Luka since 1992. He held a number of governmental positions including a 2-year term as a representative at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Milorad Dodik's SNSD party. He was a member of the House of Peoples from 2000 until 2002 and a member of the House of Representatives from 2002 until 2007.

On 11 January 2007, he became the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, succeding Adnan Terzić. On 1 November 2007, Špirić tendered his resignation in protest of parliamentary reforms imposed by High Representative Miroslav Lajčák. Špirić felt that the reforms would reduce the influence of Bosnia's Serb population. The resignation was deemed by some to be the country's most serious crisis since the end of the Bosnian War.[1] After the crisis was resolved, he was renominated for the Chairman's post on 10 December 2007,[2] confirmed by the presidency on 27 December 2007 and by parliament on 28 December 2007.[3]

From 2012 until 2015, Špirić served as Minister of Finance and Treasury.[4]

In September 2018, the United States Department of State put Špirić under sanctions (travel ban and asset freeze), with the justification that “Mr Spiric engaged in and benefited from public corruption, including the acceptance of improper benefits in exchange for the performance of public functions and interference with public processes, during his tenure as a member of the House of Representatives in Bosnia”. Špirić accused the US Ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina to harm his chances of re-election.[5]

Since February 2019, Špirić has been a member of the House of Peoples once again.[6]

In September 2020, Špirić was appointed member of the Parliamentary Committee for the selection and monitoring of the work of the BiH Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption (APIK). This raised criticism given that he remains under US sanctions for corruption.[7]

Personal life

Špirić is married and has two children. On 18 January 2021, He was admitted to hospital due to bilateral pneumonia.[8]

References
  1. BBC NEWS | Europe | Bosnian PM resigns over reforms
  2. Girodivite: Centro Studi Europa dell'Est - news del 10.12.2007 - powered by www.seenews.com
  3. Javno - World
  4. http://www.vijeceministara.gov.ba/pdf_doc/sazivi%20hrv%2018-5-2020.pdf
  5. Balkan Insight
  6. Er. M. (28 February 2019). "Izetbegović, Čović i Špirić izabrani u rukovodstvo Doma naroda Parlamenta BiH" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  7. Bljesak
  8. "Nikola Špirić i Nenad Stevandić hospitalizovani zbog obostrane upale pluća" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by
Adnan Terzić		 Chairman of the Council of Ministers
of Bosnia and Herzegovina
2007–2012		 Succeeded by
Vjekoslav Bevanda
Preceded by
Dragan Vrankić		 Minister of Finance and Treasury
2012–2015
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