Aleksandar Martinović (; born 15 June 1976) is a Serbian politician. He was a cabinet minister in the Serbian government from 2022 to 2025. He most recently served as minister of agriculture, forestry, and water economy. Before his appointment to cabinet, he served several terms in the Serbian parliament.
Formerly a prominent figure in the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Martinović has been a member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012.
Early life and career Martinović was born in Slavonski Brod, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He graduated from the University of Novi Sad's law faculty in 1999 and later received a master's degree (2003) and a doctorate (2011) from the same institution. He has been employed in the faculty since 2001, working in the field of constitutional law.Александар Мартиновић; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management; Government of Serbia; accessed 11 June 2024. Martinović lives in Ruma in southwestern Vojvodina.
Politician Early years in the Serbian Radical Party (2004–08) Local politics in Ruma The Radical Party won twenty out of forty-three seats in Ruma in the 2004 Serbian local elections and afterward formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Martinović served on the municipal council (i.e., the executive branch of the municipal government) in the term that followed and chaired the SRS board in Ruma during this time.Direktorijum lokalnih samouprava u Srbiji, Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CESID), September 2005, p. 294. This source erroneously lists his year of birth as 1960.Velika Srbija [Serbian Radical Party publication], Volume 17 Number 2584 (Ruma, August 2006), p. 8.
In 2007, three SRS delegates in the municipal assembly left the party and allowed the opposition Democratic Party (DS) to form a new administration. The SRS-led coalition refused to cede power, leading to a chaotic situation in which both sides claimed to be the municipality's legitimate government.Dragan Todorović, "Vlast i pečati", Vreme, 22 November 2007, accessed 6 April 2021.J. Slatinac, "Tuča u Gradskoj kući u Rumi", Politika, 9 October 2007, accessed 6 April 2021. In March 2008, the Serbian government appointed a provisional municipal administration that did not include the Radicals."Grad nepovratno izgubio pola godine", Danas, 24 March 2008, accessed 6 April 2021.
The 2008 local elections in Ruma continued the stalemate, with both the DS and the SRS winning eighteen seats. In June 2008, Martinović and local DSS leader Dragan Božić announced a new coalition that would have had a one-seat majority in the municipal assembly."Za jedan glas više od demokrata i SPS", Blic, 18 June 2008, accessed 21 August 2023. The coalition never came to power; one Radical delegate mysteriously disappeared from the area, and the DSS later withdrew its support. The DS's attempts to form a coalition with the DSS and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) also failed, and the assembly was dissolved for a repeat election in November.B.B. Mijić, "Socijalisti izdali demokrate", Novosti, 17 July 2018, accessed 21 August 2023. By the time the vote took place, the Radical Party had split.
Parliamentarian Martinović received the seventy-fifth position on the Radical Party's electoral list in the 2007 Serbian parliamentary election and was given a mandate when the list won eighty-one seats.Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. јануара и 8. фебрауара 2007. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (4 Српска радикална странка - др Војислав Шешељ), , Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024.14 February 2007 legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 5 March 2017. (From 2000 to 2011, Serbian parliamentary mandates were awarded to sponsoring parties or coalitions rather than to individual candidates, and it was common practice for the mandates to be assigned out of numerical order. Martinović did not automatically receive a mandate by virtue of his list position.)Serbia's Law on the Election of Representatives (2000) stipulated that parliamentary mandates would be awarded to electoral lists (Article 80) that crossed the electoral threshold (Article 81), that mandates would be given to candidates appearing on the relevant lists (Article 83), and that the submitters of the lists were responsible for selecting their parliamentary delegations within ten days of the final results being published (Article 84). See Law on the Election of Representatives, Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 35/2000, made available via LegislationOnline, , accessed 13 April 2024. Although the Radicals won more seats than any other party, they fell well short of a majority and ultimately served in opposition. In his first assembly term, Martinović was a member of the committee for constitutional affairs, the legislative committee, and the committee for science and technological development.ДЕТАЉИ О НАРОДНОМ ПОСЛАНИКУ: МАРТИНОВИЋ, АЛЕКСАНДАР, , National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
He was promoted to the twenty-third position on the Radical Party's list for the 2008 parliamentary election and was again chosen for a mandate when the list won seventy-eight seats.Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 11. маја 2008. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (4 СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - Др ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ), , Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024. While the overall results of the election were inconclusive, the For a European Serbia alliance led by the DS ultimately formed a coalition government with the Socialist Party, and the Radicals remained in opposition. Martinović served on the committee for constitutional affairs, the legislative committee, and the administrative committee.ДЕТАЉИ О НАРОДНОМ ПОСЛАНИКУ: МАРТИНОВИЋ, АЛЕКСАНДАР, , National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.АЛЕКСАНДАР МАРТИНОВИЋ Др, , National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 3 August 2023.
Radical Party member after the 2008 split (2008–12) The Radicals experienced a serious split in late 2008, with several members joining the more moderate Serbian Progressive Party under the leadership of Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić. Martinović initially remained with the Radicals and was given a more prominent role in the party.
Local and provincial politics The Radical Party lost the repeat election in Ruma in November 2008, winning only four seats.Lokalni Izbori 2008; Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; p. 48. Martinović led the party's group in the municipal assembly for the term that followed.СПИСАК ОДБОРНИКА СА АДРЕСАМА И СТРУЧНОМ СПРЕМОМ, , Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023. He was re-elected at the head of the SRS list in the 2012 Serbian local elections, in which the party increased its representation to seven seats.СПИСАК ОДБОРНИКА СА АДРЕСАМА И СТРУЧНОМ СПРЕМОМ, , Municipality of Ruma, accessed 3 August 2023.
Martinović was also the Radical Party's candidate for the Ruma constituency seat in the 2012 Vojvodina provincial election. He finished third.
Parliamentarian Martinović strongly opposed a late 2008 draft of the Statute of Vojvodina, saying it was designed to "suppress the Serbian identity" of the province and describing its preamble as "characteristic of a constitution of an independent state.""Vojvodina's draft statute aimed at "suppressing the Serbian identity" - party," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 6 October 2008 (Source: Vecernje novosti, Belgrade, in Serbian 3 Oct 08). The following year, he opposed an anti-discrimination bill that offered protection to LGBTQ citizens, charging that it amounted to a "persecution of Christians.""Serbian Radical MPs distribute anti-gay posters in parliament," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 March 2009 (Source: Radio B92 text website, Belgrade, in English 1628 gmt 19 Mar 09; B92 TV, Belgrade, in Serbian, 19 Mar 09; Danas, Belgrade, in Serbian 20 Mar 09; Beta Week, Belgrade, in English 13 Mar 09).
He became deputy leader of the Radical Party's parliamentary group in 2009, and some journalists noted that group leader Dragan Todorović was gradually giving him a larger role in the assembly."Serbian Radicals' official denies "conflict" as "young lion" gains prominence," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 25 December 2009 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 23 Dec 09). In late 2009, he travelled to the Netherlands for his first meeting with SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj, who was then facing war crimes charges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. In an interview prior to the meeting, Martinović acknowledged that he had risen to a leading role in the party in a short period of time."Serbian Radical Party deputy leader not to use visit to Seselj to climb to top," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 November 2009.
Martinović was appointed as a vice-president of the Radical Party in April 2010. Later in the year, he called for the government of Serbia to reject any direct negotiations with Hashim Thaçi, prime minister of the disputed Republic of Kosovo, on the grounds that direct talks would confer legitimacy on Thaçi's government."Serbian officials view how Marty's report could affect start of Kosovo talks," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 December 2010 (Source: Vecernje novosti website, Belgrade, in Serbian 17 Dec 10).
In 2011, Martinović said that the Radical Party could not achieve power on its own at the republic level and should join a coalition with the DS, the DSS, or the SPS. Todorović declined to comment on this statement."Highlights from Serbian press 8 Apr 11," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 8 April 2011 (Source: Politika).
Serbia's electoral system was reformed in 2011, such that all parliamentary mandates were awarded to candidates on successful lists in numerical order.Law on the Election of Members of the Parliament (2000, as amended 2011) (Articles 88 & 92) made available via LegislationOnline, , accessed 6 June 2021. Martinović received the second position on the Radical Party's list, behind Šešelj, in the 2012 parliamentary election.Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине, 6. мај 2012. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (2 СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - ДР ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ), , Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 13 April 2024. The party's local leadership in Serbia also sought to nominate Martinović in the concurrent presidential election, but Šešelj overrode their decision and selected his largely apolitical wife Jadranka for the role."Serbian Radical Party leader nominates spouse as presidential candidate - daily," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 6 April 2012 (Source: Blic website, Belgrade, in Serbian 6 Apr 12). She received less than four per cent of the vote in the presidential contest, finishing seventh, while the party lost its assembly representation by falling below the electoral threshold in the parliamentary vote. The Progressive Party and its allies won the greatest number of seats and afterward formed a coalition government with the SPS and other parties.
Serbian Progressive Party (2012–present) Increasingly dissatisfied with the direction of the Radicals, Martinović left the party to join the Progressives on 4 July 2012. He was appointed as chair of Serbia's privatization agency and as chair of the Galenika supervisory board in 2013, holding both positions until his return to parliament the following year.ALEKSANDAR MARTINOVIĆ, Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 30 November 2017.
Local politics