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Rudolf Schuster
Rudolf Schuster
	Schuster in 2011
2nd President of Slovakia
	In office; 15 June 1999 – 15 June 2004
Prime Minister	Mikuláš Dzurinda
Preceded by	Michal Kováč; Mikuláš Dzurinda (Acting); Jozef Migaš (Acting)
Succeeded by	Ivan Gašparovič
Member of the National Council
	In office; 30 October 1998 – 15 June 1999
Mayor of Košice
	In office; 1994–1999
	In office; 1983–1986
Czechoslovakia Ambassador to Canada
	In office; 28 August 1990 – 3 May 1992
Preceded by	Ján Janovic
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Speaker of the National Council
	In office; 30 November 1989 – 26 June 1990
Preceded by	Viliam Šalgovič
Succeeded by	František Mikloško
Personal details
Born	4 January 1934 (age 91); Košice, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia)
Political party	Independent (1990–1998, 1999–present)
Other political; affiliations	Communist Party (1964–1990); Party of Civic Understanding (1998–1999)
Spouse	Irena Schusterová-Trojáková (m. 1961; died 2008)
Alma mater	Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
Signature

Rudolf Schuster (born 4 January 1934) is a Slovak politician, who served as the second president of Slovakia from 1999 to 2004. He was elected on 29 May 1999 and inaugurated on 15 June. In the presidential elections of April 2004, in which he sought re-election, Schuster was defeated.^[1] He received only 7.4% of the vote, with three other candidates (more specifically Ivan Gašparovič, Vladimír Mečiar, and Eduard Kukan) receiving more than that. He was succeeded by Ivan Gašparovič.^[2]

Life and career

Schuster was born in Košice. From 1964 to 1990, he was a member of the Communist Party of Slovakia. Before becoming president, he was Mayor (Slovak: primátor) of Košice in 1983–1986 and 1994–1999 respectively. He was also the last Communist president of the Slovak National Council (1989–1990), Ambassador of Czechoslovakia to Canada (1990–1992) and a leader of the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP – Strana občianskeho porozumenia, 1998–1999).

Schuster speaks German (including Mantak dialect), Slovak, Czech, Russian, English and Hungarian fluently.

Schuster's father's family is of Carpathian German origin, while his mother's family is of Hungarian origin. Rudolf Schuster was married in 1961 to Irena Trojáková (died 2008) and he has two children (son Peter and daughter Ingrid) and two granddaughters. In his private life, he is a sports fan, a traveller and a writer. He is also a camera fan.

In 1998, Schuster founded the centre-left Party of Civic Understanding. In 1999 he received honorary citizenship from Miskolc, as recognition of the good cooperation between the city and Košice during his mayorship.^[3]

In 2004, Schuster sought re-election in the 2004 presidential election and received 7.4% of the votes.

Writing

Rudolf Schuster is a member of the Association of Slovak Writers. He has been author of film scripts for various television films. His most famous works are detective novels and travelogues mainly about Brazil and Canada.^[4]

Bibliography

Necestami Brazílie (1987)
Prípad „Puntičkár“ (1987)
Nežiaduci dôkaz (1988)
Čierny notes (1989) – ISBN 80-85110-09-1
Bol som pri tom (1989)
Rodné putá: J. Fabini (1994) – ISBN 8085727129
So skalpelom a bez neho (1994) – ISBN 80-85727-13-7
Stopy viedli k Indiánom (1995) – ISBN 80-967412-1-7
Strieborný mercedes (1995) – ISBN 80-85727-14-5
Ultimátum (1996) – ISBN 80-967412-2-5
Hlavná (1997) – ISBN 80-967412-4-1
Návrat do veľkej politiky (1998) – ISBN 80-968272-0-0
Explózia (1999) – ISBN 80-967412-7-6
Ako to bolo (2000)
Rozhovory s Milanom Čičom (2001) – ISBN 80-968272-7-8
Muž s dvoma srdcami (2001) – ISBN 80-968272-5-1
V tieni brazilských pralesov (2002) – ISBN 80-890840-5-2
Farby Islandu (2009) – ISBN 978-80-89084-23-4
V krajine ľadových medveďov (2010) – ISBN 978-80-89084-29-6
Deň na južnom póle (2011) – ISBN 978-80-89084-35-7
Kanada, od mora k moru / Canada, From Sea to Sea (2014) – ISBN 978-80-89084-38-8

Honours and awards

National honours

Country	Honours	Date
Czechoslovakia	Honour for Services to the Building^[5]	1983
Czechoslovakia	Czechoslovak Order of Labour^[6]	1989
Slovakia	First Class of the Pribina Cross^[7]	1998
Slovakia	First Class of the Order of Andrej Hlinka^[8]	2019
Slovakia	First Class of the Order of Ľudovít Štúr^[8]	2019
Slovakia	First Class of the Milan Rastislav Štefánik Cross^[8]	2019
Slovakia	Medal for Services to Slovak Diplomacy^[9]	2023
Slovakia	Gratitude Medal^[8]	2024

Foreign honours

Country	Honours	Date
Algeria	Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit^[10]	2003
Argentina	Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín^[11]	2001
Austria	Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria^[12]	2004
Brazil	Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross^[12]	2001
Brazil	Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco^[13]	2024
Chile	Collar of the Order of Merit^[12]	2001
Croatia	Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star^[14]	2001
Czech Republic	Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion^[15]	2019
Germany	Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany^[12]	2001
Greece	Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer^[12]	2000
Holy See	Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX^[12]	2002
Hungary	Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary^[16]	2003
Italy	Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic^[17]	2002
Lebanon	Extraordinary Class of the Order of Merit^[12]	2001
Luxembourg	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau^[12]	2002
Poland	Knight of the Order of the White Eagle^[18]	2002
Portugal	Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry^[12]	2003
Romania	Grand Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania^[19]	2000
Sweden	Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim^[20]	2002
Slovenia	Gold Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia^[21]	2003
SMOM	Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi^[12]	1999
Spain	Collar of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic^[22]	2002
Ukraine	First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise^[23]	2004