Boris Šprem Explained

Boris Šprem should not be confused with Boris Spremo.

Boris Šprem
Office1:Speaker of the Croatian Parliament
Term Start1:22 December 2011
Term End1:30 September 2012
Predecessor1:Luka Bebić
Successor1:Josip Leko
Office2:Chief of Staff of the Office of the President of Croatia
Term Start2:1 October 2005
Term End2:2007
President2:Stjepan Mesić
Predecessor2:Davor Božinović
Successor2:Amir Muharemi
Birth Date:14 April 1956
Birth Place:Koprivnički Bregi, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia
Death Place:Houston, Texas, U.S.
Resting Place:Mirogoj Cemetery, Zagreb, Croatia
Party:SDP
Alma Mater:University of Zagreb
Profession:Lawyer

Boris Šprem (14 April 1956 – 30 September 2012) was a Croatian politician who was the speaker of the Croatian Parliament from 2011 to 2012. He was the first and to date only speaker to die in office since country's independence in 1991.

Early life and education

Šprem was born in Koprivnica, Croatia (then Yugoslavia), on 14 April 1956.[1] He studied law at the University of Zagreb.[1]

Political career

Šprem served as Chief of Staff of the Office of the President of the Republic from 2005 to 2007, during the second term of Stjepan Mesić, and he was the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament from 2011 to 2012. Šprem also served as the president of the city council of Zagreb and was a member of parliament of Social Democratic Party (SDP). His term as Speaker began on 22 December 2011 after SDP won the 2011 general election.

Death and funeral

Šprem was first diagnosed with cancer in 2010.[2] In June 2012, Šprem underwent surgery at the Zagreb Clinical Centre due to the recurrence of multiple myeloma lesions.[3] He went to Houston for further treatment on 23 August 2012.[4]

He died on 30 September 2012 at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, U.S., where he had been undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma.[5] He is the first Speaker of the Croatian Parliament to die in office. He was succeeded in an acting capacity by his deputy Josip Leko, who had been acting Speaker since Šprem left for the U.S. in 2012. Leko was later also elected as the 9th Speaker of Parliament, on 10 October 2012.

Šprem's remains arrived in Zagreb on a regular flight from Frankfurt, Germany, on 3 October. On 4 October, the mourning began with a ceremonial session of the Parliament, with Šprem's family, as well as former Prime Ministers, Ministers, Parliament members and key religious figures attending. Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and Šprem's mother, son and wife then went to Mirogoj Cemetery, as part of a procession, where the last respects were paid. A gun salute was then given by members of the Croatian Armed Forces.[6]

Although he was an atheist during the most of his life, during his sickness he turned into religious Christian. He requested last rite and to be buried with Catholic rite.[7] [8] Boris Šprem was posthumously honoured with the Grand Order of Queen Jelena with Sash and Morning Star medal by the President of Croatia Ivo Josipović.

Reactions

A day of national mourning was declared following the death of Šprem in Croatia.[9] On 1 October 2012, European Parliament President Martin Schulz issued a statement on Šprem's death, sending his condolences to his family, friends and the Croatian nation.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Boris Sprem. Global Leadership Project. 30 September 2012.
  2. News: Croatia's Parliament Speaker Sprem dies of cancer. 30 September 2012. Euronews. 30 September 2012. Reuters. Zagreb.
  3. News: Croatian Parliament speaker Boris Sprem die. 30 September 2012. Daily Tportal. 30 September 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131214010351/http://daily.tportal.hr/217470/Croatian-Parliament-speaker-Boris-Sprem-dies.html. 14 December 2013.
  4. News: Boris Sprems condition deteriorated – transferred to intensive care. 29 September 2012. Dalje. 21 September 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120928001457/http://dalje.com/en-croatia/boris-sprems-condition-deteriorated---transferred-to-intensive-care/446658. 28 September 2012.
  5. News: Croatian Parliament speaker Boris Sprem dies in Houston. 30 September 2012. Dalje. 30 September 2012. Zagreb. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121007232154/http://dalje.com/en-croatia/croatian-parliament-speaker-boris-sprem-dies-in-houston/447293. 7 October 2012.
  6. News: Parliament speaker Boris Sprem buried. 6 October 2012. Dailyt Portal. 4 October 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131214010356/http://daily.tportal.hr/218482/Parliament-speaker-Boris-Sprem-buried.html. 14 December 2013.
  7. Web site: Bivši ateist Šprem na samrti se okrenuo vjeri te tražio ispovijed i posljednju pomast. 2 October 2012.
  8. Web site: Glas Koncila: Ljevica je šokirana Špremovim vraćanjem vjeri pa uvode zabrane.
  9. News: Day of mourning on Thursday for Boris Sprem. 4 January 2013. Croatian Times. 1 October 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121118094212/http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2012-10-01/29996/Day_of_mourning_on_Thursday_for_Boris_Sprem. 18 November 2012.
  10. Web site: Schulz on death of Croatian parliament speaker Boris Sprem. https://archive.today/20130217112434/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/the-president/en/press/press_release_speeches/press_release/2012/2012-october/press_release-2012-october-1.html. dead. 17 February 2013. European Parliament. 4 January 2013. Brussels. Press Release. 1 October 2012.