Ruža Tomašić (; born 10 May 1958) is a

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who 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 July 2013, having been elected to the position three times. After finishing elementary school at the age of 10, Tomašić moved to Canada where she finished high school and a police college. As a

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

, she worked on the prevention of juvenile delinquency and combatting drug trafficking. After Croatian president

Franjo Tuđman Franjo Tuđman (; 14 May 1922 – 10 December 1999), also written as Franjo Tudjman, was a Croatian politician and historian. Following the country's independence from Yugoslavia, he became the first president of Croatia and served as p ...

invited her to return to Croatia in 1990, Tomašić accepted and started working as a member of Tuđman's personal security. After beating

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...

, she decided to leave police work and engage in politics. From 2003 to 2008 she was a member of the

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 ...

elected from the list of the

Croatian Party of Rights The Croatian Party of Rights ( hr, Hrvatska stranka prava or HSP) is an extra-parliamentary nationalist political party in Croatia. The "right(s)" in the party's name refer to the legal and moral reasons that justify the independence and autonom ...

and from December 2011 to July 2013 as an MP for the

Croatian Party of Rights Dr. Ante Starčević Croatian may refer to: *Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , ...

. At the

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

and 2014 EP elections, Tomašić won second most preference votes of all the candidates, and at the 2019 EP elections, most preference votes. On 17 January 2015 she joined the newly founded

Croatian Conservative Party The Croatian Conservative Party ( hr, Hrvatska konzervativna stranka or HKS) was a conservative political party in Croatia. Last president of the party was Marijan Pavliček. It was founded on 20 November 2014. It joined the Alliance of Europea ...

. In the European Parliament, Tomašić sits in the

European Conservatives and Reformists The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) is a soft Eurosceptic, anti- federalist political group of the European Parliament. The ECR is the parliamentary group of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party) European pol ...

group. As of 2019, the European Parliament adopted 5 of her reports, 28 reports on which she worked as a shadow rapporteur, 573 of her amendments and 293 resolutions which, in addition to delivering more than 1000 speeches and sending 146 parliamentary questions to the EU Commission and the Council, made her the most active Croatian MEP.

Early life

Ruža Tomašić was born in the village of Mladoševica,

PR Bosnia and Herzegovina The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Bosna i Hercegovina, Социјалистичка Pепублика Босна и Херцеговина), commonly referred to as Socia ...

, and grew up with her parents, six sisters and a brother in the

Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja ...

n village of

Velika Kopanica Velika Kopanica is a village and municipality in Brod-Posavina County, Croatia. There are a total of 3,308 inhabitants, in the following settlements: * Beravci, population 815 * Divoševci, population 296 * Kupina, population 269 * Mala Kopan ...

. At age 15, she left Croatia and joined her older sister, who was married and lived in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Tomašić worked on a variety of jobs to support herself before enrolling in 13-week program at

Ontario Police College The Ontario Police College (OPC) is a police academy located in Malahide Township, just east of Aylmer, in Elgin County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. History The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) proposed the idea of a central ...

, from which she graduated in 1981. In her career as a police officer in

and

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, she primarily dealt with

juvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior as a minor or individual younger than the statutory age of majority. In the United States of America, a juvenile delinquent is a person ...

and illegal drug trade, which included

undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...

work.

Return to Croatia

In September 1990, Tomašić moved to Croatia, by invitation from then-President

who met her during his state visit to Canada, and served as a

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

for top Croatian government officials. In 1992, she was diagnosed with

uterine cancer Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, includes two types of cancer that develop from the tissues of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the uteru ...

, and chose to go back to

for medical treatment. After recovering completely from her illness in 1998 she decided to move to

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

again. In the meantime, Tomašić appeared in approximately 20 episodes of ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'' and ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

'' as a

stuntwoman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

, drawing on her experience of riding a

police motorcycle A police motorcycle is a motorcycle used by police and law enforcement. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officers in the United States. Units t ...

in the mid-1980s.

Politics and activism

Tomašić was politically active in the

Croatian Canadian Croatian Canadians are Canadian citizens who are of Croatian descent. The community exists in major cities including the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Windsor, Montreal and Waterloo Region. Pop ...

community, and became a member of the nationalist

in 1990. After settling in Croatia with her family in 1998, she began a more earnest involvement in politics, became a vice-president of the Croatian Party of Rights, and entered the 2003 election in the top spot on her party's list in the 10th electoral unit, which brought her a seat in

Sabor 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 ...

. Her term ended in January 2008. In 2009 Tomašić left the Croatian Party of Rights over disagreements with its president Anto Đapić. She accused Đapić of "betraying the party" and of using his position for personal gain. In September 2009 she was elected president of a new party, Croatian Party of Rights Dr. Ante Starčević. Known as an anti-drug activist, she reportedly received a number of death threats in 2006. In 2007 it was reported that

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

groups had been allegedly planning her assassination. By that time, she had started carrying a pistol for self-defense, and her family received police protection. In December 2010 Tomašić received the

Order of Stjepan Radić The Order of Stjepan Radić ( hr, Red Stjepana Radića) is a Croatian national decoration which ranks thirteenth in importance. The order was formed on 1 April 1995. The Order of Stjepan Radić is granted to Croatians and foreigners for services ...

in recognition of her efforts fighting organized crime. In March 2013, she made headlines after she was quoted saying "Croatia is for Croats while everyone else is a guest", a claim she disputed. On 3 November 2014 Tomašić left the Croatian Party of Rights Dr. Ante Starčević.

Member of European Parliament

In the European election of 14 April 2013, Tomašić was elected in the European Parliament, placing 6th in the candidates list of the

Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, lit=Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ) is the major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croa ...

(HDZ). On 1 July 2013, after Croatia joined the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

, she took office as

(MEP). Tomašić joined European Conservatives and Reformists Group and became member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering. She was re-elected MEP following European election of 25 May 2014, serving her second term in office, placing 5th in the candidates list of HDZ.

Controversies

Commenting on the statement by Serbian Labour Minister

Aleksandar Vulin Aleksandar Vulin ( sr-cyr, Александар Вулин; born 2 October 1972) is a Serbian politician and lawyer serving as the director of the Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) since 1 December 2022. Additionally, he previously served as d ...

, who said Croatia cannot give lessons to Serbia about war crimes after Croatia's Interior Minister

Ranko Ostojić Ranko Ostojić (; born 3 October 1962) is a Croatian lawyer and centre-left politician who served as the 11th Interior Minister in the Cabinet of Zoran Milanović from December 2011 to January 2016. Ostojić graduated from the Split Faculty o ...

said that Serbia could improve its path to join the European Union by holding a trial for the murder of twelve Croatian police officers in

Borovo Selo Borovo ( sr-Cyrl, Борово, hu, Boró, german: Worow), also known as Borovo Selo ( sr-Cyrl, Борово Село; to distinguish it from Borovo Naselje suburb which up until 1980 was also a part of the Borovo cadastral municipality), is a vi ...

during the

Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...

, Tomašić stated: "Let them erbspray to God that we do not clean up our yard because if we start to clean our yard you will have a lot more Serbs from Croatia who will have to go to Serbia. They hold this state for their treasury and supermarket and give nothing to the state". Her statement was criticised by many, including the Committee on Human Rights and National Minorities of the

. Three days later, Tomašić wrote on her official Facebook page that she was referring to those Serbs who committed war crimes during the 1990s

and were never tried.

Personal life

Tomašić lives in

Brna Brna is a village on the southern coast of the island of Korčula in western Croatia. In the 19th century, Brna served as an overnight base for fishermen from nearby Smokvica, and had a pier that was used for the export of wine. During the 1970 ...

, on the island of

Korčula Korčula (, it, Curzola) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It has an area of , is long and on average wide, and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 15,522 inhabitants (2011) make it the second most populous Adriatic island after K ...

, which is the birthplace of her husband Vlado, whom she married in 1987. They have two children. She is a practising

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and declares her adherence to traditional Christian values.

References

External links

YouTube channel of Ruža Tomašić

Ruža Tomašić's Facebook page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomasic, Ruza 1958 births Living people Canadian police officers Canadian people of Croatian descent 20th-century Croatian women politicians 20th-century Croatian politicians 21st-century Croatian women politicians 21st-century Croatian politicians Croatian Party of Rights politicians Croatian expatriates in Canada Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatian Party of Rights Dr. Ante Starčević MEPs Croatian Party of Rights Dr. Ante Starčević politicians Croatian Conservative Party MEPs Croatian nationalists Anti-Serbian sentiment Women MEPs for Croatia Representatives in the modern Croatian Parliament MEPs for Croatia 2013–2014 MEPs for Croatia 2014–2019 MEPs for Croatia 2019–2024 Anti-crime activists Croatian police officers People from Maglaj