Biography
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was born on April 29, 1968, in Rijeka, Croatia, when it was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. She attended several schools, beginning with Los Alamos High School in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, and then studied at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb and George Washington University. Her studies in international relations and languages prepared her for a successful career in diplomacy and politics.
Grabar-Kitarović started in Croatian politics in 1993 by joining the Croatian Democratic Union (HDU) party. Her political career advanced rapidly after Croatia's independence. Her first major appointment was in 2003 as Minister of European Affairs. In 2005, she made history as Croatia's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, serving until 2008. Her time in this role was during the crucial period of Croatia negotiating EU membership.
After her time as minister, Grabar-Kitarović moved into international diplomacy, becoming the Croatian Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011. Her skills in diplomacy led to her role as Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy at NATO headquarters in Brussels, working under Secretaries General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Jens Stoltenberg from 2011 to 2014. She became one of the highest-ranking Croatian officials in an international organization.
In 2015, Grabar-Kitarović made a significant political achievement by winning the Croatian presidential election, becoming the country's first female head of state and its youngest president at age 46. She had to resign from the HDU party and give up her Trilateral Commission membership to take on the role. During her presidency from 2015 to 2020, she co-founded the Three Seas Initiative with Polish President Andrzej Duda to strengthen cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries. Her presidency ended in 2020, after which she was elected to the International Olympic Committee.
Before Fame
Grabar-Kitarović's rise started in her teens when she got a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Los Alamos High School in New Mexico. This early international exposure introduced her to American culture and politics, which shaped her diplomatic views. After returning to Croatia, she finished her university studies during Croatia's bid for independence from Yugoslavia.
In the early 1990s, as Croatia became independent, there were new opportunities for young professionals who spoke several languages. Grabar-Kitarović's language skills and international background made her a great fit for Croatia's growing diplomatic service. Her early career aligned with Croatia's efforts to become a sovereign nation and align itself with Western Europe and the Atlantic institutions, setting the stage for her quick rise in politics.
Key Achievements
- First woman elected President of Croatia, serving from 2015 to 2020
- First female Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Croatia
- Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy at NATO from 2011 to 2014
- Co-founder of the Three Seas Initiative promoting Central and Eastern European cooperation
- Election to the International Olympic Committee in 2020
Did You Know?
- 01.She was the youngest person ever to assume the Croatian presidency at age 46
- 02.Forbes magazine ranked her as the 39th most powerful woman in the world in 2017
- 03.She co-founded the Three Seas Initiative, a geopolitical project connecting twelve European countries between the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black Seas
- 04.She received the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to international relations
- 05.She was one of only three Croatian members of the prestigious Trilateral Commission before becoming president
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Order of King Tomislav | — | — |
| Grand Order of Queen Jelena | — | — |
| Grand Order of King Petar Krešimir IV | — | — |
| Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir | — | — |
| Order of Duke Trpimir | — | — |
| Fulbright Scholarship | — | — |
| Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry | — | — |
| Order of Duke Branimir | — | — |
| Order of Skanderbeg | — | — |
| Order of Prince Henry | — | — |
| Order of the White Eagle | — | — |
| Order of the National Flag | — | — |
| Order of Mubarak the Great | — | — |
| Order of the Star of Romania | — | — |