Stevo Pendarovski


Stevo Pendarovski is a Macedonian politician who is serving as the president of North Macedonia, holding the office since 12 May 2019.

Early life and education

The fifth head of state, Stevo Pendarovski, was born on April 3, 1963 in Skopje. From 1998 to 2001 he was the head of the Analysis and Research Directorate in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and a spokesman for the Ministry. Pendarovski graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje in 1987. He later earned his MA and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science in the same university.

Political career

1998–2014: Beginning, politics

Stevo Pendarovski kicked off his government career as Assistant-Minister for Public Relations in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and as head of the Analytical and Research Department of the ministry from 1998–2001.
He was the National Security and Chief Foreign Policy Adviser to President Boris Trajkovski from 2001 until Trajkovski's death in 2004. After leading the State Election Commission in 2004–2005 he went on to serve again as National Security and Chief Foreign Policy Adviser to the next President, Branko Crvenkovski, from 2005 to 2009.
Since 2008 he has been the Assistant Professor in International Security, Foreign Policy and Globalization at the University American College Skopje, where he teaches International Security, International Relations, Introduction to Politics, Globalization, Geopolitics, US Foreign Policy, EU Foreign and Security Policy and Small Countries in the World politics.

2014–present: Elections, declaring as president

On 4 March 2014 he was elected by the main opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia as its candidate for the April 2014 presidential election.
He also became a presidential candidate of Social Democratic Union of Macedonia and Democratic Union for Integration for the 2019 election. Pendarovski won 436,212 votes in the second round of the presidential election or 51,66% of the votes cast.

Personal life

Family

Pendarovski married Elizabeta Gjorgievska, a doctor who works at the Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry and a professor at the Faculty of Dentistry UKIM in Skopje. They have one child.