September 5, 2023 – Ivan Šuker, Croatian politician, former finance minister, and deputy prime minister, has passed away, having battled a short and serious illness.
Photo: Patrik Macek/PIXSELL
As Index writes, Ivan Šuker was born on November 12, 1957 in Livno. He started his schooling in his hometown, then went to university in Zagreb, where he graduated from the Faculty of Economics in 1983. Soon after, he became the chief accountant in the Budget Department of the Municipality of Velika Gorica.
After that, he became the financial director of the City Youth, where he remained until 1990. Between 1990 and 2000, he simultaneously performed the duties of head of the Velika Gorica tax administration and other functions in Velika Gorica or Zagreb. After that, Šuker slowly turned to politics.
While still there, he performed the duties of president of the Velika Gorica Crisis Staff. Shortly after that, he became an external member of the Zagreb City Council from 1993 to 1997 and a deputy prefect of Zagreb County in the following three years.
Sanader’s Minister of Finance
In the parliamentary elections in January 2000, he was elected as a member of the Croatian Parliament, becoming a member of the Committee for Finance and State Budget and the Committee for Local Self-Government. That year, he also became the leader of the HDZ City Committee and the mayor of Velika Gorica. He was also elected to the HDZ Presidency.
After the 2003 election, he became the Minister of Finance in the government of Ivo Sanader. He remained in that position until 2008. Jadranka Kosor replaced him during the reconstruction of the government, in which three other ministers left (Minister of Culture Božo Biškupić, Minister of Defense Branko Vukelić, and Minister of Spatial Planning Marina Matulović-Dropulić). At the party’s presidency session, he told Jadranka Kosor that he “would never forgive her that.” Martina Dalić succeeded him. After leaving that position, he activated his parliamentary mandate.
Šuker’s Testimony for Ina-Mol Affair
At the internal party elections in May 2012, he supported Tomislav Karamarko for HDZ president, but he was not on his list. Then, he was defeated in the elections for the position of vice president of the party. That year, he took over the City Committee of HDZ in Velika Gorica. He narrowly defeated Dražen Barišić.
He is also remembered for his testimony before the parliamentary committee that he did not even read the contract handing management rights over INA to MOL. Other memorable moments include the frequent arguments with his colleague from the government, Damir Polančec.
He was elected as a member of parliament six times, and his last term ended in July 2020. His hobby was basketball. From 2002 to 2004, Šuker served as president of the Croatian Basketball Association. He lived in his parents’ house in Velika Gorica with his wife, Andrea, and has a son, Marko, and a daughter, Katarina.
