Ivan Štefunko
{{short description|Slovak politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ivan Štefunko
| image = Ivan Štefunko ArtKlub Trnava.jpg
| caption = Štefunko in 2017
| office1 = Member of the National Council
| term_start1 = 15 October 2023
| office2 = Chairman of Progressive Slovakia
| term_start2 = 20 January 2018
| term_end2 = 8 May 2019
| predecessor2 = Office established
| successor2 = Michal Truban
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|3|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = Poprad, Czechoslovakia
| alma_mater = Faculty of Political Science and International Relations, Matej Bel University{{Cite news|first=Roman|last=Moravčík|title=Kto je Ivan Štefunko|trans-title=Who is Ivan Štefunko?|url=https://hnonline.sk/hnporadna/civilizacia/239225-kto-je-ivan-stefunko|website=Hospodárske noviny|date=28 February 2008|language=sk}}
| party = Progressive Slovakia
}}
Ivan Štefunko (born 4 March 1977){{Cite news|first=Tina|last=Čorná|title=Ľavičiar Ivan Štefunko: Proletariátom 21. storočia sú menšiny.|url=https://www.sme.sk/c/2833772/laviciar-ivan-stefunko-proletariatom-21-storocia-su-mensiny.html|website=Sme|publisher=Bratislava: Petit Press|date=3 August 2006|access-date=24 October 2022|language=sk}} is a Slovak politician, entrepreneur, and co-founder of multiple companies.{{Cite news|title=I. Štefunko: Nemám rád mikromanažment|url=https://www.trend.sk/trend-archiv/stefunko-nemam-rad-mikromanazment|website=Trend SK|date=23 August 2014|access-date=3 April 2017|language=sk}} He served as chairman of Progressive Slovakia from 2018 until 2019.{{Cite news|first=Dušan|last=Mikušovič|title=Štefunko povedie Progresívne Slovensko: Nie sme žiadni vítači imigrantov|url=https://dennikn.sk/1004044/stefunko-povedie-progresivne-slovensko-nie-sme-ziadni-vitaci-imigrantov/|website=Denník N|publisher=Bratislava: N Press|date=20 January 2018|access-date=8 May 2019|language=sk}} Since 2023, he serves as an MP of the National Council of Slovakia. {{Cite news|first=Lucia|last=Praus|title=Lúčenie Čaputovej aj Štefunka. Progresívne Slovensko na snem iných politikov nepozývalo|url=https://domov.sme.sk/c/22116177/snem-progresivcov-bol-rozluckou-caputovej-hnutie-povedie-truban.html|website=Sme|publisher=Bratislava: Petit Press|date=8 May 2019|language=sk}}
Early life
Štefunko was born on 4 March 1977 in Poprad. He spent most of his childhood in Algeria due to his parents' job.{{Cite news|first=Lucia|last=Praus|title=Štefunko z Progresívneho Slovenska: Mám ambíciu byť vo vláde|url=https://domov.sme.sk/c/20396687/stefunko-z-progresivneho-slovenska-mam-ambiciu-byt-vo-vlade.html|website=Sme|publisher=Bratislava: Petit Press|date=29 November 2016|language=sk}} He attended Sciences Po from 2004 until 2006, majoring in European studies.
Political career
Upon graduation from university, Štefunko became chairman of the now-defunct political party Young Democratic Left.{{Cite news|first=Michael|last=Frank|title=Ivan Štefunko: Podnikateľ z núdze, politik z nutnosti|url=https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20460349/ivan-stefunko-podnikatel-z-nudze-politik-z-nutnosti.html|website=SME|publisher=Bratislava: Petit Press|date=19 February 2017|language=sk}} His political activities continued under the leadership of Milan Ftáčnik, but it also disappeared due to the merger with Direction – Social Democracy. In the 2010 interview for Pravda, Štefunko criticised the policy of Direction and Robert Fico.{{Cite news|first=Tina|last=Čorná|title=Extrémisti budú mať väčší vplyv|url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/166595-extremisti-budu-mat-vaecsi-vplyv/|website=Pravda|date=20 June 2010|access-date=3 April 2017|language=sk}}
Štefunko further stated that Direction – Social Democracy has not brought any fundamental improvement in people's lives in 10 years. Mikloš said at the time: "Štefunko wanted to continue playing different games, so he asked the great Mikloš for money. He arranged for him to contact ProPartners at the time, and they are still financing him today."{{Cite news|title=Kritizuje vládu, no žije za štátne. Hlavne Progresívne… Kto je Ivan Štefunko?|url=http://www.tyzdennikkoment.sk/kritizuje-vladu-no-zije-za-statne-hlavne-progresivne-kto-je-ivan-stefunko/|website=tyzdennikkoment.sk|date=22 February 2018|access-date=1 December 2023|language=sk}}
In 2016, Štefunko co-founded the civil association Progressive Slovakia that aimed to offer progressive solutions to social problems in Slovakia.{{Cite news|title=Predsedníctvo Progresívneho Slovenska|url=https://progresivne.sk/o-nas/tim/|url-status=dead|website=Official website of Progressive Slovakia|language=sk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315195946/https://progresivne.sk/o-nas/tim/|archive-date=15 March 2018}} Sociologist Slosiarik was very interested in this type of party project, but according to him, Štefunko's personality will not be enough for success.{{Cite news|first=Lucia|last=Praus|title=Mená Beblavého ani Štefunka na úspech strán stačiť nebudú|website=Sme|publisher=Bratislava: Petit Press|date=12 September 2017|language=sk}}
In the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election, Štefunko was the sixth candidate of the Progressive Slovakia/Democrats coalition, where he received 8,481 votes in the election.{{Cite news|title=Zoznam registrovaných kandidátov|trans-title=List of registered candidates for the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election|url=https://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/verejna_sprava/volby_a_referendum/100_nr_sr/nr20_3kandidati/NR20_12.pdf|url-status=dead|date=8 February 2020|website=Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220092157/https://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/verejna_sprava/volby_a_referendum/100_nr_sr/nr20_3kandidati/NR20_12.pdf|archive-date=20 February 2020}} Upon taking preferential votes into account, Štefunko was ranked 14th among the candidates. Due to the result of the coalition, he did not enter the parliament.{{Cite news|title=Definitívne výsledky hlasovania|url=https://volbysr.sk/sk/data04.html|url-status=dead|website=Slovak Stistical Office|language=sk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924064154/https://volbysr.sk/sk/data04.html|archive-date=24 September 2016}}
He gained an MP seat in the 2023 Slovak parliamentary election.{{cite web |title=Mgr. Ivan Štefunko|url=https://www.nrsr.sk/web/Default.aspx?sid=poslanci/poslanec&PoslanecID=1127 |website=National Council of Slovakia|access-date=5 December 2023 |language=sk}}
Personal life
Štefunko is married and has three children.{{Cite news|first=Michael|last=Frank|title=Ivan Štefunko: Podnikateľ z núdze, politik z nutnosti|url=https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20460349/ivan-stefunko-podnikatel-z-nudze-politik-z-nutnosti.html|website=Sme|location=Bratislava|publisher=Petit Press|date=19 February 2019|language=sk}}