Marjan Šarec
Who was Marjan Šarec?
Former comedian and television presenter who served as the 9th Prime Minister of Slovenia from 2018 to 2020.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Marjan Šarec (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Marjan Šarec was born on December 2, 1977, in Ljubljana, Slovenia, during the last decade of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He studied at the University of Ljubljana's Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television, which set the stage for his early career in entertainment. Šarec started out as a comedian and satirist, gaining fame in Slovenia through his work as a television presenter and actor. His comedic skills and public profile made him well-known in Slovenian popular culture before he moved into politics.
Šarec's political career began at the local level when he was elected Mayor of Kamnik in 2010, a role he held until 2018. His achievements in local governance provided him with valuable experience and political credibility. In 2017, he took his first big step into national politics by running for President of Slovenia. Despite being relatively new on the national scene compared to established politicians, Šarec did remarkably well, reaching the second round of voting before narrowly losing to the incumbent President Borut Pahor.
After the presidential race, Šarec started his political party, the List of Marjan Šarec (LMŠ), and successfully entered the National Assembly following the 2018 parliamentary elections. His party's success in the election enabled him to form a coalition government, and on August 17, 2018, he became the 9th Prime Minister of Slovenia at the age of 40. His government worked on various domestic and European Union policies during a time of significant political and economic challenges in the area.
Šarec's time as Prime Minister ended when he resigned on January 27, 2020, due to difficulties in carrying out his government's agenda. After stepping down, he continued his political career, serving as Minister of Defence in Robert Golob's government from June 2022 to July 2024. His political journey led to his election to the European Parliament in 2024, representing Slovenia on the continental stage. Throughout his career, Šarec kept his ties to entertainment and media while becoming a key figure in modern Slovenian politics.
Before Fame
Growing up in Ljubljana during Slovenia's shift from socialism to independence, Šarec saw the dramatic political and social changes that shaped modern Slovenia. The 1990s, when he came of age, were important for the newly independent nation as it built democratic institutions and sought to integrate with Western Europe. This time of political change and more open media gave rise to opportunities for satirical comedy and independent television programming.
Šarec studied at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television when Slovenia's media scene was growing and becoming more varied. The increase in commercial television and local entertainment programming offered platforms for young comedians and performers to develop careers in the domestic market, paving the way for his future recognition and move into public service.
Key Achievements
- Served as 9th Prime Minister of Slovenia from 2018 to 2020
- Elected twice as Mayor of Kamnik (2010-2018)
- Advanced to the final round of the 2017 Slovenian presidential election
- Founded and led the List of Marjan Šarec political party to parliamentary representation
- Elected to the European Parliament in 2024
Did You Know?
- 01.He performed celebrity impersonations and satirical sketches on Slovenian television before entering politics
- 02.At 40 years old, he was one of the youngest Prime Ministers in Slovenia's history when appointed in 2018
- 03.His political party, the List of Marjan Šarec, was founded just before the 2018 parliamentary elections
- 04.He served as mayor of Kamnik, a medieval town of approximately 13,000 residents, for eight years
- 05.His transition from entertainment to the European Parliament represents one of the most dramatic career changes in contemporary Slovenian politics