Mitja Gaspari
Image:Mitja Gaspari 2011cropped.jpg
Mitja Gaspari (born 25 November 1951) is a Slovenian economist, banker, and politician.{{Cite web |url=http://www.zurnal24.si/cms/novice/volitve/kandidati/index.html?id=8170 |title=MITJA GASPARI - Kandidati - zurnal24 |access-date=2008-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311165051/http://www.zurnal24.si/cms/novice/volitve/kandidati/index.html?id=8170 |archive-date=2009-03-11 |url-status=dead }} He served as Minister for Economic Development in the government of Borut Pahor.
Early life and education
Gaspari was born in Ljubljana. He studied economics at the University of Ljubljana and has graduated in monetary economics from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics.{{cite web |url=http://www.svr.gov.si/en/about_the_office/head_of_office/ |title=Head of Office |accessdate=2010-04-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827192918/http://www.svr.gov.si/en/about_the_office/head_of_office/ |archivedate=2008-08-27 }}
Career
= Career in the public sector =
Gaspari worked in the National Bank of Yugoslavia, where he became vice-governor in 1988. In September 1991, he became a senior advisor in the World Bank.{{cite web |url=http://www.sta.si/vest.php?s=s&id=1337826 |title=STA: Mitja Gaspari - minister za razvoj in evropske zadeve (biografija) |website=www.sta.si |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721130539/http://www.sta.si/vest.php?s=s&id=1337826 |archive-date=2011-07-21}} Between 1992 and 2000, he served as Slovenian Minister of Finance in the governments of Janez Drnovšek.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.si/drzavni-organi/vlada/o-vladi/pretekle-vlade/2-vlada-republike-slovenije-od-14-maja-1992-do-25-januarja-1993/|title=2. Vlada Republike Slovenije (od 14. maja 1992 do 25. januarja 1993) | GOV.SI|website=Portal GOV.SI}} Although he was considered close to the ruling Liberal Democracy of Slovenia, he never joined the party.
Gaspari served as the governor of the Bank of Slovenia between 2001 and 2007. During his mandate, Slovenia adopted the euro as its official currency.{{Cite web|url=http://www.evro.si/za-novinarje/fotografije/gaspari-menjava/|title=Guverner Mitja Gaspari ob polnoči menjal tolarje v evre na blagajni Banke Slovenije}}
= Political career =
Gaspari was among the candidates at the 2007 Slovenian presidential election, supported by the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia. He received 24.09% of votes in the first round, finishing third.{{cite web |url=http://volitve.gov.si/vp2007/ |title=Volitve predsednika republike 2007 |accessdate=2008-09-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706141939/http://volitve.gov.si/vp2007/ |archivedate=2008-07-06 }} In 2012, he was nominated as Slovenia's candidate to succeed José Manuel González-Páramo on the Executive Board of the European Central Bank; the position eventually went to Yves Mersch.[https://www.politico.eu/article/trading-executives/ Trading executives] European Voice, March 14, 2012.
In 2008, Gaspari was appointed Minister for Economic Development in the left wing government of Borut Pahor.
References
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Category:20th-century Slovenian economists
Category:Governors of the Bank of Slovenia
Category:Lawyers from Ljubljana
Category:University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics alumni
Category:Ministers for development and European affairs of Slovenia
Category:Ministers of finance of Slovenia
Category:Liberal Democracy of Slovenia politicians
Category:Businesspeople from Ljubljana
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