Predrag Fred Matić (born 2 June 1962) is a Croatian
centre-left
Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The c ...
politician of the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
For ...
who has been serving as a
Member of European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
since 2019. He previously served as
Minister of Veterans' Affairs from 2011 to 2016, in the
Cabinet of Zoran Milanović
The Twelfth Government of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Dvanaesta Vlada Republike Hrvatske) was the Croatian Government cabinet led by Prime Minister Zoran Milanović. It was in office from 23 December 2011 until 22 January 2016. It was formed f ...
.
Early life
Matić was born in 1962 in
Požega, Croatia
Požega () is a city in western Slavonia, eastern Croatia, with a total population of 22,364 (census 2021). It is the administrative center of the Požega-Slavonia County.
Name
Between 1921 and 1991, the town was known as ''Slavonska Požega''. ...
. He attended
University of Osijek
The Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( hr, Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, la, Universitas studiorum Mursensis), commonly known as the University of Osijek (UNIOS), is a public university based in Osijek, Croatia. ...
from which he graduated with a B.A. in
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
.
Military career
During the summer of 1991, Matić served in
Croatian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske – OSRH) is the military service of Croatia.
The President is the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, and exercises administrative powers in times of war by giv ...
as one of the defenders of Trpinjska Street in
Vukovar
Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Vukovar is the seat of ...
, during the
Vukovar massacre. He was arrested in November 1991 and throughout nine months was exposed to almost daily torture in Serbian concentration camps. In summer 1992 he was released,
and for his bravery and heroism was awarded with numerous medals and military decorations, followed by a discharge with a rank on brigadier of
Croatian Army
The Croatian Army ( hr, Hrvatska kopnena vojska or HKoV) is the largest and most significant component of the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF).
Role and deployment
The fundamental role and purpose of the Croatian Army is to protect vital national i ...
.
Political career
Career in national politics
After the war, Matić worked in the Cabinet of the
and held the post of Chief and Spokesman of General Affairs at its Office from 1994 to 1998. From 1998 to 2000 he was the head of the
Ministry of Croatian Veterans
Ministry of Croatian Veterans ( hr, Ministarstvo hrvatskih branitelja, MHB) is a ministry of the Croatian Government which is split into several directorates:
*Directorate for Family
**This directorate is further split up into departments for fam ...
and from 2004 to 2005 served as an advisor to
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor (; born 1 July 1953) is a Croatian politician and former journalist who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 2009 to 2011, having taken office following the sudden resignation of her predecessor Ivo Sanader. Kosor was the fi ...
.
[
From 2008 to 2009 Matić served as a member of ]Croatian Parliament
The Croatian Parliament ( hr, Hrvatski sabor) or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sabor ...
and until 2010 served as a member of the management board of Croatian Transparency. From 2010 to 2011[ he served as Special Advisor to the ]President of Croatia
The president of Croatia, officially the President of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske), is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military and chief representative of the Republic of Croatia both within the ...
Ivo Josipović
Ivo Josipović (; born 28 August 1957) is a Croatian academic, jurist, and politician who served as President of Croatia from 2010 to 2015.
Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ), and played a key ...
.[ Following it, he assumed the role of ]Minister of Defence of Croatia
The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Ministarstvo obrane Republike Hrvatske or MORH) is the ministry in the Government of Croatia which is in charge of the nation's military. It is Croatia's ministry of defence. The minist ...
on which he remained until 2016, and same year served as a member of the SDP General Board.[
On 28 December 2015 Matić was elected as an MP and represented ]Social Democratic Party of Croatia
The Social Democratic Party of Croatia ( hr, Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske, SDP) is a social-democratic political party in Croatia. The SDP is anti-fascist, progressive, and strongly pro-European. The SDP was formed in 1990 as the succe ...
from the 5th constituency. On that same day, his candidacy was suspended, and Biljana Gaća was elected instead. He ran again, this time during the 2016 campaign, assuming office until 14 October, but was dropped in January of that year.[ After his candidacy was dropped, he served as a member of Defence Committee, Gender Equality Committee and the ]National Security Council
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
.[
In addition to his committee assignments, Matić held the post of a Deputy Member of the Croatian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the ]South-East European Cooperation Process
The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) was launched on Bulgaria's initiative in 1996. At the Bulgaria-chaired meeting in Sofia, the Southeast Europe (SEE) countries laid the foundations for regional co-operation for the purposes of c ...
and was also a member of the Interparliamentary Co-operation Committee.[
On 14 October 2016, Matić was elected back into an MP, using "Predrag" as his personal name. On 1 March 2019, he changed his name to "Predrag Fred" Matić following his reelection. During those years, since November 2016, he was a head of the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process and was a member of the Interparliamentary Co-operation Committee.
]
Member of the European Parliament, 2019–present
Matić has been a Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
since the 2019 elections. In parliament, he has since been serving on the Committee on Fisheries
The Committee on Fisheries (PECH) is a committee of the European Parliament.
Chris Davies was the chairman (2019 – 2020) - until the United Kingdom left the European Union.
Committee mandate
PECH is the European Parliament committee respon ...
and on the Committee on Culture and Education
The Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) is a committee of the European Parliament.
Responsibilities of the Committee
This committee has focused on the well-being of all members of the human race and the increased opportunities for educat ...
. He is an alternate member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) is a committee of the European Parliament.
Membership Chair
Vice Chairs
*Eugenia Rodríguez Palop
*Sylwia Spurek
* Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi
*Robert Biedroń
Members
*Regina Bastos ...
, where he serves as the parliament's rapporteur
A rapporteur is a person who is appointed by an organization to report on the proceedings of its meetings. The term is a French-derived word.
For example, Dick Marty was appointed ''rapporteur'' by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Euro ...
on sexual and reproductive health and rights
Sexual and reproductive health and rights or ''SRHR'' is the concept of human rights applied to sexuality and reproduction. It is a combination of four fields that in some contexts are more or less distinct from each other, but less so or not at ...
in the EU.
In addition to his committee assignments, Matić is part of the Parliament's delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
.
Political positions
In 2018, Matić commented on Aleksandar Vučić
Aleksandar Vučić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Вучић, ; born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as the president of Serbia since 2017, and as the president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012.
Vučić served ...
's statement that Croatia wanted a country without Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
, comparing it to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's comments on how he wanted Germany without Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matić, Predrag
1962 births
Living people
Social Democratic Party of Croatia politicians
People from Požega, Croatia
University of Osijek alumni
MEPs for Croatia 2019–2024
Order of Duke Domagoj recipients
Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski recipients
Military personnel of the Croatian War of Independence