Damir Zobenica

Zobenica was born in Pula, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He completed grammar school in Novi Sad and graduated from the University of Novi Sad Faculty of Philosophy in 2008 with a sociology degree.[https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=potpredsednikzobenica&j=EN Vice-President Damir Zobenica] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108185904/https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=potpredsednikzobenica&j=EN |date=2021-01-08 }}, Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 5 January 2021.

Zobenica joined the Progressive Party upon its founding in 2008. The following year, he was elected as the president of its local board in Sremska Kamenica.[https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=potpredsednikzobenica&j=EN Vice-President Damir Zobenica] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108185904/https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=potpredsednikzobenica&j=EN |date=2021-01-08 }}, Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 5 January 2021.

He received the seventh position on the Progressive Party's electoral list for the Novi Sad municipal assembly in the 2012 Serbian local electionsSlužbeni List (Grada Novog Sada), Volume 31 Number 17 (24 April 2012), p. 552. and was elected when the list won fifteen mandates.Službeni List (Grada Novog Sada), Volume 31 Number 22 (23 May 2012), p. 651. The Democratic Party and its allies initially formed a coalition government at the municipal level in Novi Sad, and Zobenica served as a member of the opposition. The Progressives and their allies formed a new administration in October 2012 following a shift in local alliances, and he served as advisor to the mayor between 2012 and 2016.

Zobenica was elected to his first term in the Vojvodina assembly in the 2012 provincial election, winning Novi Sad's first constituency seat. The election was won by the Democratic Party and its allies, and the Progressives served in opposition for the next four years.

Vojvodina switched to a system of full proportional representation for the 2016 provincial election, and Zobenica was given the third position on the Progressive Party's list. This was tantamount to election, and he was indeed re-elected when the list won a majority of with 63 out of 120 seats.[http://pik.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana?s=izborneliste&i=2016 Изборне листе за изборе за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне покрајине Војводине (Изборна листа 1 - АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ – СРБИЈА ПОБЕЂУЈЕ Изборна листа)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419223900/http://pik.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana?s=izborneliste&i=2016 |date=2021-04-19 }}, Избори 2016, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 7 July 2020. He was chosen as a vice-president of the assembly following the election and held this role for the next four years.

Zobenica also became active with the Assembly of European Regions during this time, serving as vice-president of Committee 1 (dealing with economic and regional economic cooperation issues) in 2016–17. He subsequently became vice-president of the assembly in charge of diplomacy and Black Sea cooperation in 2017–19 and vice-president in charge of regional economic development beginning in 2019.[https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=potpredsednikzobenica&j=EN Vice-President Damir Zobenica] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108185904/https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=potpredsednikzobenica&j=EN |date=2021-01-08 }}, Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 5 January 2021.

He was given the second position on the Progressive Party's list in the 2020 provincial election[http://pik.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana?s=izborneliste&i=2020 Изборне листе кандидата за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне покрајине Војводине (АЛЕКСАНДАР ВУЧИЋ – ЗА НАШУ ДЕЦУ.)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627113905/http://pik.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana?s=izborneliste&i=2020 |date=2020-06-27 }}, Izbori 2020, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 1 January 2021. and was elected to a third term when the list won an increased majority with seventy-six seats. He was confirmed for another term as vice-president of the assembly after the election, and he serves as a member of the committee on European integration and interregional cooperation and the committee on administrative and mandatory issues.[https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Poslanici.aspx?id=724&s=poslanici Damir Zobenica] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108123831/https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Poslanici.aspx?id=724&s=poslanici |date=2021-01-08 }}, Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 5 January 2021. He has also continued to participate in Serbia's delegation to the Assembly of European Regions.[http://rtv.rs/sr_lat/vojvodina/novi-sad/pastor-i-zobenica-na-generalnoj-skupstini-aer_1180518.html "Pastor i Zobenica na Generalnoj Skupštini AER"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109064206/http://rtv.rs/sr_lat/vojvodina/novi-sad/pastor-i-zobenica-na-generalnoj-skupstini-aer_1180518.html |date=2021-01-09 }}, Radio Television of Vojvodina, 19 November 2020, accessed 5 January 2021.

In November 2024, during protests following the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad Railway Station, Zobenica was accused by Member of Parliament Marinka Tepić of organizing SNS activists during the clashes at the protest, releasing an audio recording of the orders.{{Cite web|url=https://n1info.rs/vesti/audio-tepic-sns-funkcioner-daje-zadatke-za-blokadu-izazivanje-incidenata-i-vredjanje-opozicije/|title=Tepić: SNS funkcioner daje zadatke za blokadu – izazivanje incidenata i vređanje opozicije|date=2024-11-28|access-date=2025-02-26|work=N1|archive-date=2024-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226183246/https://n1info.rs/vesti/audio-tepic-sns-funkcioner-daje-zadatke-za-blokadu-izazivanje-incidenata-i-vredjanje-opozicije/|url-status=live}} Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić commented on these claims, stating that Zobenica denied this and claimed the audio was made using artificial intelligence.{{Cite web|url=https://www.021.rs/story/Novi-Sad/Vesti/394548/Vucic-o-Zobenici-Poslao-mi-je-poruku-da-je-to-vestacka-inteligencija.html|title=Vučić o Zobenici: Poslao mi je poruku da je to veštačka inteligencija|date=2024-11-29|access-date=2025-02-26|website=021|archive-date=2024-12-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212203315/https://www.021.rs/story/Novi-Sad/Vesti/394548/Vucic-o-Zobenici-Poslao-mi-je-poruku-da-je-to-vestacka-inteligencija.html|url-status=live}} Sound engineer Dejan Tomka stated that it is impossible to create the sound in the recording using artificial intelligence.{{Cite web|url=https://n1info.rs/vesti/vestacka-inteligencija-ili-zobenica-stasom-i-glasom-strucnjak-tvrdi-nemoguce-da-ai-napravi-tako-autentican-snimak/|title=Veštačka inteligencija ili Zobenica „stasom i glasom“: Stručnjak tvrdi – nemoguće da AI napravi tako autentičan snimak|date=2024-11-29|access-date=2025-02-26|work=N1|first=Miona|last=Živić|archive-date=2024-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204032006/https://n1info.rs/vesti/vestacka-inteligencija-ili-zobenica-stasom-i-glasom-strucnjak-tvrdi-nemoguce-da-ai-napravi-tako-autentican-snimak/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/zobenica-djilas-tomka-snimak/|title=„Snimak glasa Damira Zobenice autentičan“: Đilas i Tomka o snimku u kojem se pozivaju aktivisti SNS da napadaju učesnike protesta|date=2024-11-29|access-date=2025-02-26|work=Danas|first1=Radmila|last1=Briza|first2=Miljko|last2=Stojanović|archive-date=2024-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216151418/https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/zobenica-djilas-tomka-snimak/|url-status=live}} On December 13, 2024, Zobenica resigned from his position as Vice President of the Assembly of Vojvodina.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-13 |title=Damir Zobenica podneo ostavku, mediji pišu i da Koldžić više nije na funkciji |url=https://n1info.rs/vesti/damir-zobenica-podneo-ostavku-mediji-pisu-i-da-koldzic-vise-nije-na-funkciji/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=N1 |language=sr-RS |archive-date=2025-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116061052/https://n1info.rs/vesti/damir-zobenica-podneo-ostavku-mediji-pisu-i-da-koldzic-vise-nije-na-funkciji/ |url-status=live }} A criminal complaint was filed against him, but it was dismissed because "it was determined that the reported act is not a criminal offense prosecuted ex officio."{{Cite web |last=Bokić |first=Uglješa |date=2025-02-25 |title=Odbačena krivična prijava protiv Zobenice zbog audio snimka: Tužilaštvo zaključilo da nema elemenata krivičnog dela |url=https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/odbacena-krivicna-prijava-protiv-zobenice-zbog-audio-snimka-tuzilastvo-zakljucilo-da-nema-elemenata-krivicnog-dela/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Danas |language=sr-RS}}

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Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Pula

Category:Politicians from Novi Sad

Category:Members of the Assembly of Vojvodina

Category:Members of the Assembly of European Regions

Category:Serbian Progressive Party politicians