Paja Francuski

Francuski was born in Kikinda in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in what was then the People's Republic of Serbia in the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. He graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Mining and Geology and worked at Naftna Industrija Srbije.Članovi Izvršnog veća AP Vojvodine, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040618095108/http://www.vojvodina.sr.gov.yu/Srpski/vece/clanovi.htm#8}}, Executive Council of Vojvodina, 18 June 2004, accessed 30 November 2021.

Francuski was first elected to the Kikinda municipal assembly in the December 1992 Serbian local elections.Članovi Izvršnog veća AP Vojvodine, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040618095108/http://www.vojvodina.sr.gov.yu/Srpski/vece/clanovi.htm#8}}, Executive Council of Vojvodina, 18 June 2004, accessed 30 November 2021.

In 1996, the LSV formed an alliance known as the Vojvodina Coalition (KV) with two other regional parties. This coalition won a plurality victory in Kikinda in the 1996 local elections and, in conjunction with the mostly supportive Zajedno (English: Together) coalition, controlled a majority of seats in the assembly.[https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G1997/Pdf/G19976002.pdf Izbori Za Odbornike Skupština Opština i Gradova u Republici Srbiji, 1996], Bureau of Statistics – Republic of Serbia, p. 53. Francuski was re-elected to the assembly and, when it convened, was chosen as its president (i.e., speaker). At the time, this position was equivalent to that of mayor.

Francuski was also elected for Kikinda's second division as a Vojvodina Coalition candidate in the concurrent 1996 Vojvodina provincial election and was sworn in when the assembly convened in early 1997.[http://pik.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana?s=rezultatiarhiva&i=1 Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине одржаних 3. и 17. новембра 1996. године], Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 5 April 2017.[https://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=poslanici&saziv=7 Saziv 1997 - 2000], Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 19 November 2021. The election was won by the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), and Francuski served in opposition.

The LSV left the Vojvodina Coalition in 1998. Over the next two years, Francuski emerged as a prominent local opponent of Slobodan Milošević's government.See for instance [http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/1999/07/13/srpski/P99071203.shtm "Prst upreti u prave krivce"], Glas javnosti, 13 July 1999, accessed 30 November 2021. In September 1999, he attended a meeting of the Socialist International's committee on local authorities with another member of the Serbian opposition.[https://www.socialistinternational.org/committees/local-government-1997-2013/meeting-of-the-socialist-international-committee-on-local-authorities-cartaxo-portugal/list-of-participants/ List of participants: Meeting of the Socialist International Committee on Local Authorities, Cartaxo, Portugal, 10-11 September 1999], Socialist International, accessed 30 November 2021.

The LSV joined the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), a broad and ideologically diverse coalition of parties opposed to Milošević's government, in 2000. The DOS defeated Milošević in the 2000 Yugoslavian general election, an event that prompted wide-scale changes in Serbian politics.

Francuski was re-elected for Kikinda's second division as a DOS candidate in the 2000 provincial election and was also re-elected to the Kikinda municipal assembly in the concurrent 2000 local elections.SO KIKINDA, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040807190433/http://www.kikinda.org.yu/odbornici.html}}, Kikinda Online, 7 August 2004, accessed 30 November 2021. The DOS won majority victories at both levels of government. When the provincial assembly convened, Francuski was appointed as one of the vice-presidents of Vojvodina's executive council.[http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/10/24/srpski/P00102314.shtm "Čanak predsednik"], Glas javnosti, 24 October 2000, accessed 30 November 2021. He served in this capacity until 2002, when he was re-assigned as the provincial secretary for energy and minerals.See ORGANI POKRAJINE: Skupština Autonomne Pokrajine Vojvodine, Izvršno veće Autonomne Pokrajine Vojvodine i Pokrajinski organi uprave., {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020206065759/http://www.vojvodina.sr.gov.yu:80/organizacija/organizacija1.html}}, Teritorijalna organizacija, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, 6 February 2002, accessed 30 November 2021; and Članovi Izvršnog Veća, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020618204630/http://www.vojvodina.sr.gov.yu/vece/clanovi.htm}}, Izvršno veće AP Vojvodine, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, 18 June 2002, accessed 30 November 2021. In the latter role, he took part in discussions about forming a public company for natural gas distribution in the province; in September 2003, he had to announce that this plan was being abandoned, as there were no viable options to provide a stable, safe, and cheap supply to consumers.[http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2003/09/30/srpski/RG03092902.shtml "Čekaju zakon o energetici "Čekaju zakon o energetici"], Glas javnosti, 30 September 2003, accessed 30 November 2021. The following year, he complained that relations between the republican and provincial energy ministries were not satisfactory.[https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2004&mm=05&dd=20&nav_category=9&nav_id=141281 "Kurjački najavio uništavanje GM soje"], B92, 20 May 2004, accessed 30 November 2021.

The DOS coalition had dissolved by 2004, and the LSV contested that year's provincial election in its own Together for Vojvodina (ZZV) coalition. Francuski sought re-election in Kikinda's second division and was defeated. He stood down from the executive council shortly after the election.

Francuski briefly returned to political life in 2012 as a member of the Preokret (English: U-Turn) coalition. He sought re-election to the provincial assembly in his old constituency for the 2012 provincial election and was defeated. He also appeared in the third position on the U-Turn list for Kikinda in the 2012 local elections; the list did not cross the electoral threshold to win any mandates.Službeni List (Opštine Kikinda), Volume 47 Number 7 (25 April 2012), p. 73.Službeni List (Opštine Kikinda), Volume 47 Number 10 (14 May 2012), p. 3.

Francuski died on 25 March 2023 after a short and serious illness.[https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/umro-paja-francuski-bivsi-predsednik-opstine-kikinda/ "Umro Paja Francuski, bivši predsednik opštine Kikinda"], Danas, 26 March 2023, accessed 5 November 2024.

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Category:1949 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:Politicians from Kikinda

Category:Mayors of places in Serbia

Category:Members of the Assembly of Vojvodina

Category:Members of the Executive Council of Vojvodina

Category:League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina politicians