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Since restoration of independence in 1991, six presidents held office. Freddy Sanken is the first head of an independent country and also the longest-served president, youngest elected and has longest post-presidency. 3 presidents belonged to the nationalist party "United Croatia", 1 was independent and 2 people left-wing "Podemos" members. Jacob Zinkeern held office shorter than any people. Tim Mathijs is current and 6th head of state.

Country became independent on 25 June 1991 and Freddy Sanken was appointed as a president by Independence Council the next day. On 30 June 1991, he was inaugurated.

By days (1991–present)

† as of 5 October 2024

Rolling format

Days	Longest consecutive period	Political party	Surname
4778	4778	I	Freddy Sanken
4026	4026	Croatia	Alina Golubec
1462	1462	Croatia	Karel Kerezic
1362	1362	Croatia	Roland Ernel
428 †	428 †	Netherlands	Tim Mathijs
101	101	Netherlands	Jakob Zinkeern

Freddy Sanken, official portrait, 1991.

Tim Mathijs, official portrait, 2023.

Leaders by years

• 1. Freddie Sanken b.1960 (1991-2004)
• 2. Alina Golubec b.1937 (2004-2015)
• 3. Roland Ernel b.1959 (2015-2019)
• 4. Jacob Zinkeern b.1977 (2019)
• 5. Karel Kerezic b.1982 (2019-2023)
• 6. Tim Mathijs b.1973 (2023-present)

Vice-presidents

• 1. Aleksandar Aleksić (1999-2019)
• 2. Maks Bernard (2019)
• 3. Gaetano Lapadula (2021-2023)
• 4. Dahlia Lima (2023-present)

Tim Mathijs

Tim Mathijs (born 1 August 1973) is a Dutch politician who is 6th and current president since 5 August 2023.

Mathijs is the first only nation's leader, who before becoming president, was a governor. He became a senator in 1999 and worked as Enschede governor from 2007 to 2010.

Furthermore, Mathijs lost presidential nominations in 2012 (to Donat Grizan) and 2019 (to future leader Jakob Zinkeern), before winning this and then defeated nationalist president Karel Kerezic.

During his sixth week after the inauguration, Mathijs brushed with death, when he had brain bleeding and survived slot removal with surgery.

After two months recovering at home in Amsterdam, Mathijs returned to work and shortly became longest serving Podemos president before marking one year in office in August 2024.

He was sworn on 5 August 2023.

On 11 September 2023, six weeks after starting work, Mathijs was rushed to hospital. It was later announced that he had undergone surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain. Doctors named surgery "life saving". After surgery, Mathijs was transferred to the intensive care. Former president Jacob Zinkeern, party members Jasper Vidam and Dahlia Lima and consul Temirlan Erlanov visited him in the hospital. Former president Freddy Sanken wished him health in his Facebook's video. Mathijs later returned home on 27 September, after spending 16 days at hospital. He officially continued to work from 13 November. Three days later, Mathijs surpassed Jakob Zinkeern's record for longest-served president from Podemos.

On July 2024, Mathijs made trip to several Dutch villages and visited people.

Mathijs is married with publisher Justine Herbert since 1996 and they have three children.

Ideology

Left-wing Podemos and right-wing United Croatia have been a huge rivals since its establishment. In late 1980s, United Croatia played a resistance to Yugoslavian communism and advocated for independent Croatia. Podemos took more moderate approach and proposed a progressive transition to social democracy. In the end of 20th century and 21st century, United Croatia dominated in political area, including consecutive periods from 1991 to 2019 and from 2021 until 2023.

• Podemos - social-democracy, green politics, LGBT rights, multiculturalism, euthanasia, legal abortion, human rights, strict control of guns.
• United Croatia - conservatism, nationalism, euroskepticism, anti-immigration, restriction of abortion, traditional family, free use of weapons.

All candidates and elections

• 1991: Freddy Sanken (elected by the Independence Council for 8 years term)
• 1999 presidential elections: Incumbent president Freddy Sanken defeated Predrag Covinic (United Croatia)
• 2004 presidential elections: Alina Golubec (United Croatia) defeated Podemos candidate Donat Grizan
• 2008 presidential elections: Incumbent president Alina Golubec (United Croatia) defeated Dahlia Lima (Podemos)
• 2012 presidential elections: Incumbent president Alina Golubec defeated Podemos candidate Donat Grizan
• 2015 presidential elections: Roland Ernel (United Croatia) defeated Podemos candidate Arij Schatkus
• 2019 presidential elections: Jakob Zinkeern (Podemos) defeated incumbent president Roland Ernel (United Croatia)
• 2023 presidential elections: Tim Mathijs (Podemos) defeated incumbent president Karel Kerezic

Presidential Libraries and Museums

Freddy Sanken's Presidential Library and Museum.

Jakob Zinkeern's Presidential Library and Museum.

• 1. Freddy Sanken (opened in 1999)
• 2. Alina Golubec (opened in 2018)
• 3. Roland Ernel (opened in 2021)
• 4. Jakob Zinkeern (opened in 2023)
• 5. Karel Kerezic (refused)
• 6. Tim Mathijs (started in 2024, will be opened in 2026)