Early life and education
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was born 29. Apr. 1968. in Rijeka in Croatia (then Yugoslavia). According to the official biography of the President’s Office, she completed elementary school in Rijeka, and secondary school as student of exchange in Los Alamos in the American state of New Mexico. She graduated from the University of Zagreb English and Spanish (with a supplementary program of the Portuguese language) in 1993. The following year she finished diplomatic academy in Vienna, and in 2000 she received her master’s degree international relations at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Zagreb. Thanks to the Fulbright scholarship, she spent in 2002/2003. at George Washington University in the USA; She then received the Presidential Medal for Scientific and Social Work. As a Luksic Fellow, she attended the program for high managers at Kennedy School at Harvard in 2009, and in 2019 she was awarded the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Award.
Newspaper articles point out that her parents, Dubravka and Branko Grabar, had butcher and family farm, and Kolinda graduated from high school in Los Alamos as an exchange student. After returning to Croatia, she continued her studies at the University of Zagreb.
Political and diplomatic career before the presidency
Grabar‑Kitarović started her professional career in 1992 in the Ministry of Science and Technology, and in 1993 she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was the head of the Department for North America (1995–1997), and in 1997 she was appointed advisor at the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Ottawa (later minister-counsel). She worked as a minister-advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2003.
In November 2003, Grabar-Kitarović was elected to the Croatian Parliament. Already a month later she took office Minister of European Integrationand at the beginning of 2005 it became Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Its main goal was to bring Croatia towards membership in European Union and NATO; During her tenure, she led the negotiating delegation for accession and successfully conducted a campaign for the election of Croatia to the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
In 2008, she was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States, where she stayed until 2011 and participated in the final activities for Croatia’s entry into NATO. In June 2011, she was elected Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Public Diplomacy, becoming the first woman in that position and then the highest ranked woman in NATO.
Presidential mandate (2015-2020)
In the presidential elections on January 11, 2015, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was elected as Fourth President of the Republic of Croatia and the first woman in that position. She took over her official position on February 15, 2015 and held it until February 18, 2020. During her mandate, she emphasized demographic renewal, decentralization, modernization of the education system and digitization society.
Together with the President of Poland in 2015, she launched the initiative of the Three Seas, a platform for strengthening the cooperation of 12 EU members in the fields of energy, transport infrastructure and digitization. She was a co-chair hill‑brijuni process, intended to improve reconciliation and prepare the countries of the Western Balkans for EU membership. During her tenure, she often participated in United Nations sessions, promoting sustainable development goals, gender equality and education.
On the world stage, she became known for her energetic performance and visible support for the Croatian national football team during the 2018 World Cup; The media reported that her appearance in the jersey caused public sympathy around the world.
Roles and engagements after the presidency
After the end of the presidential term, Grabar‑Kitarović continued to work actively in international organizations and academic institutions. In March 2020, it became Member of the International Advisory Committee of the US Atlantic Council and member of the Board of Directors Friends of Europe, an independent think tank based in Brussels. In July 2020, she was chosen as Independent member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC); As part of this, she was appointed Commission for future Olympics hosts.
In an effort to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 became Global vaccination ambassador in the Women’s Political Leaders network. In October 2020, she was appointed Global Women Leaders Committee President at the World Forum of Business Angels. In 2021, it was Sine Institute of Policy and Politics at the American University, where she held seminars on building consensus in international politics.
According to the World Health Summit, today is Co-chair of Global Readiness Monitoring Committee (GPMB) and performs the function Women Political Leaders (WPL) Global Immunization Ambassador, is President Emerita of the Women’s Council of World Leaders. She is a member Administrative Council of the US Atlantic Council, Halifax International Security Forum, Concordia Leadership Council, globsec and Friends of Europe. Since 2020, as a member of the IOC, she chairs the Commission for Future Hosts of the Olympic Games, and is a member of international center Nizami Ganjavi.
personal life and privacy
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was born on April 29, 1968, which means she has 57 year (January 2026 situation). Height and exact measures have not been officially announced; That information is unknown. Her husband is Jakov Kitarović, and a couple has two kids. The biography states that he speaks Croatian, English, Spanish and Portuguese fluently and that he speaks Italian, French and German.
information about her personal property or net wealth They are not publicly available, so they cannot be listed reliably.
Social media presence
Grabar‑Kitarović uses social networks to communicate with the public. Her Official Facebook profile (Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – Verified Account) has over 685 Thousand followers. Official profiles also have Instagram and X (former Twitter), where he posts photos and information from international events. In 2017, the media recorded that the Croatian president gained many fans in Asia and Africa; Posts on Instagram and Facebook recorded hundreds of comments in Arabic.
Why are people searching Kolinda Grabar‑Kitarović?
As the first woman at the head of Croatia and a former high-ranking official of NATO, Grabar‑Kitarović challenges a permanent public curiosity. Interest grows during major sports competitions – for example, during the 2018 World Cup, it gained the sympathy of spectators around the world with its cheering and immediacy. After the end of her mandate, she is still active on the international scene, so the media follows her lectures on global security, engagement in the Olympic movement and initiatives such as vaccination and digital security. Users search for information about her graduate education, languages she speaks, families and new roles.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Kolinda Grabar‑Kitarović’s education?
She graduated in English and Spanish at the University of Zagreb and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. She later received her master’s degree in international relations at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Zagreb and trained at George Washington University, Harvard and Johns Hopkins.
When was the president of Croatia?
Grabar‑Kitarović was elected on January 11, 2015 and held the position of president from February 15, 2015 to February 18, 2020.
What duties do you perform after the Presidency?
After 2020, she became a member of the International Olympic Committee, on the board of directors of the US Atlantic Council and other think tanks, and co-chaired the Global Committee for Monitoring Readiness (GPMB).
Does Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović have children?
Yes, the official biography states that she is married to Jakov Kitarović and that they have two children.
What is her height and personal wealth?
Precise information about height and personal wealth have not been made public, therefore cannot be specified reliably.
Conclusion
Kolinda Grabar‑Kitarović remains one of the most recognizable Croatian politicians. As the first woman at the head of the Republic of Croatia, but also as a former minister, ambassador and high-ranking official of NATO, she left a deep mark on the Euro-Atlantic integration of Croatia. Today, it conveys its influence through international forums, the Olympic movement and health and safety initiatives, and the public continues to monitor its activities. For the latest information about her work and activities, it is recommended to follow official profiles on social networks and the official website.
Cover photo: Spinnaker Graphics / Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Via Wikimedia Commons