Emília Kováčová Explained

Emília Kováčová
Office:First Lady of Slovakia
Term Label:In role
Term Start:2 March 1993
Term End:2 March 1998
Predecessor:Office created
Successor:Irena Schusterová
President:Michal Kováč
Birth Date:8 February 1931
Birth Place:Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Spouse:Michal Kováč (?–2016; his death)
Children:Juraj
Michal
Party:HZD
Profession:Academic
Economist

Emília Kováčová (8 February 1931 – 31 December 2020) was a Slovak economist and professor of employment and social development at the University of Economics in Bratislava. She served as the country's first first lady of Slovakia from 1993 until 1998.[1] [2]

Kováčová's husband, Michal Kováč, became the first President of Slovakia upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993. Emília Kováčová, likewise, became the first First Lady in Slovakia's history.[1] Kováčová created and established the protocols for the new office of the First Lady.[1] She also oversaw the restoration of Grassalkovich Palace, the country's presidential palace, during the 1990s while continuing to live at the Kováčs private home.[1] She continued to teach economics during her tenure.[1] In a 1998 interview with The Washington Post, Kováčová noted that she admired then-U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton.[1]

Kováčová continued to teach at the University of Economics in Bratislava after leaving office in 1998.[1] She also focused on her foundation, established during her tenure as first lady, which worked to help the elderly and improve educational opportunities in Slovakia.[1]

Notes and References

  1. News: The Passion of Medak Mladek . . 1998-02-02 . 2017-11-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171121011347/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/02/02/the-passion-of-meda-mladek/07bb40bb-c655-4b38-ac4c-8d8d92de038f/ . 2017-11-21 . live.
  2. News: Roman. Cuprik . Kováčova manželka neprestala dúfať vo vyšetrenie únosu. Vedľa prezidenta nemlčala . . 2016-11-06 . 2017-11-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161010054709/https://domov.sme.sk/c/20346491/kovacova-manzelka-neprestala-dufat-vo-vysetrenie-unosu.html . 2016-10-10 . dead.