Zlatko Mateša

{{Short description|Croatian politician}}{{Expand German|date=August 2024|topic=bio}}{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Zlatko Mateša

| image = Zlatko Mateša.jpg

| image_size = 220px

| caption =

| order =

| office = Prime Minister of Croatia

| term_start = 7 November 1995

| term_end = 27 January 2000

| president =Franjo Tuđman
Vlatko Pavletić (acting)

| predecessor = Nikica Valentić

| successor = Ivica Račan

| order1 =

| office1 = President of the Croatian Olympic Committee

| term_start1 = 2002

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Zdravko Hebel

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|6|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Zagreb, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia

| nationality =

| spouse = marriage Blanka Mateša

| children =

| party = Croatian Democratic Union

| alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

Zlatko Mateša ({{IPA|sh|zlâtko mâteʃa|pron}}; born 17 June 1949){{cite web|url=http://www.vecernji.hr/biografije/zlatko-matesa-552|title=Zlatko Mateša|work=vecernji.hr|language=hr|access-date=9 July 2015}} is a Croatian politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 1995 to 2000. A member of the Croatian Democratic Union, Mateša is currently the president of the Croatian Olympic Committee and honorary consul of Mongolia in Croatia.

Mateša was born and grew up in Zagreb, then Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, and obtained a law degree at the University of Zagreb in 1974. He worked in INA since 1978, where he rose through the ranks to the position of an assistant director. He was friends with Nikica Valentić, Mladen Vedriš and Franjo Gregurić.{{Cite news

|url = http://www.nacional.hr/clanak/47282/zlatko-matesa-decko-iz-hemingwaya-na-putu-za-peking

|language = hr

|title = Zlatko Mateša - dečko iz 'Hemingwaya' na putu za Peking

|trans-title = Zlatko Mateša - a boy from 'Hemingway' en route to Beijing

|newspaper = Nacional

|author = Robert Bajruši

|date = 2008-07-15

|access-date = 2010-05-20

|archive-date = 6 April 2012

|url-status = live

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120406190037/http://www.nacional.hr/clanak/47282/zlatko-matesa-decko-iz-hemingwaya-na-putu-za-peking

}}

In 1990, he entered politics and became a high-ranking HDZ member, along with the aforementioned group. President Franjo Tuđman named him the sixth President of the Government on 4 November 1995.{{cite web | url = http://hidran.hidra.hr/hidrarad/rh/rh66.htm | language = hr | title = Šesta vlada | publisher = Croatian Information-Documentation Referral Agency | access-date = 2010-12-10}} The Mateša government is perhaps best remembered for the introduction of the value-added tax, which originated from the previous government before being put to effect from 1996 under Mateša's government. In 1998, the tax rate was fixed for all products at 22%. The finance minister in the Cabinet of Zlatko Mateša was Borislav Škegro.{{Cite news

| url = http://ns1.vjesnik.com/Html/1999/12/10/Clanak.asp?r=tem&c=1

| language = hr

| title = U četiri godine mandata, Vlada povećala prosječnu plaću s 500 na 800 maraka

| newspaper = Vjesnik

| quote = Velik potez Matešina je reforma poreznog sustava i uvođenje poreza na dodanu vrijednost / PDV je moderan i u suštini najpošteniji način popune državnog proračuna; upitna je, međutim, bila jedinstvena stopa na kojoj je inzistiralo Ministarstvo financija

| author = Mladen Jambrović

| date = 1999-12-10

| access-date = 2010-05-20

}}

In the 2000 Croatian parliamentary election he was elected into the Sabor and served until the end of 2003.{{Cite web

| url = http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=1624

| language = hr

| title = Zastupnici 4. saziva Hrvatskoga sabora - Zlatko Mateša - HDZ

| publisher = Croatian Parliament

| access-date = 2010-05-20

}}

Since 2002, Mateša is the president of the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO). In 2009, Mateša obtained a Ph.D. degree from Beijing Sport University.