Andrej Kiska

Date of Birth: 02.02.1963

Andrej Kiska - Slovak politician, publicist and philanthropist, President of Slovakia (2014-2019).

Place of Birth. Education. Born on February 2, 1963, in Poprad to a family of teachers. His father taught mathematics and physics, his mother taught chemistry and biology. In 1986, he graduated from the Slovak University of Technology as a electrical engineer. His father was an active member of the ruling Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Andrej Kiska also applied for membership in the Communist Party but was rejected. After completing his military service, he worked as a designer in Poprad.

Business Activity. In 1990, after the Velvet Revolution, he moved to the USA and worked on construction sites and at a gas station. Two years later, he returned to Slovakia and became an entrepreneur. He owned the companies TRIANGEL and Quatro, which provided goods on credit.

Political Career. In the 2014 presidential elections, he ran as an independent candidate. In the first round on March 15, 2014, with 14 candidates participating, Kiska received 24% of the votes, coming in second place after the chairman of the 'Direction - Social Democracy' party, Robert Fico, and advanced to the runoff. In the runoff, he won with 59.4% of the votes.

In May 2018, Andrej Kiska announced that he would not run for the presidency again.

Foreign Policy. Andrej Kiska supports the independence of Kosovo and advocates for Slovakia to diplomatically recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state. Kiska supports Ukraine regarding sanctions against the Russian Federation.

Charity. In 2006, he co-founded the charity fund Dobrý Anjel (Good Angel), which provides monthly financial support for families with sick children in Slovakia. By 2016, more than 170,000 people in Slovakia had donated to this organization. In 2014, the 'Good Angel' expanded its activities to the Czech Republic. Kiska publicly committed to donating his monthly presidential salary to those in need.

Awards. In 2006, he was voted 'Manager of the Year' by the readers of the weekly news magazine 'Trend', and in 2011, Andrej Kiska received the prestigious title of prizewinner in the 'Crystal Wing' competition in the 'Charity' category.

Books. Andrej Kiska is the author of the book 'Take Your Life in Your Hands.' He has written two books on happiness, success, and life.

Family. Kiska's first wife was Maria Kiskova. They divorced after 18 years of marriage in 2001. They have two children: Andrej Jr. (1986) and Natalia (1990). Since 2003, he has been married to Martina Kiskova (Zivorova), and they have three children: Veronika (2005), Victor (2009), and Martina (2017).

12.01.2024