President

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova is a retired full professor of Constitutional Law and Political System at the “Iustinian Primus” Faculty of Law at the “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje. She finished her primary and secondary education in Skopje, and continued her education at the Faculty of Law at the “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje.

She completed her undergraduate studies in 1978, and continued her education with master’s studies at the same Faculty. In 1994, she completed her doctoral studies cum laude at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana, Republic of Slovenia. In the same year, she was elected Assistant Professor, in 1999 – Associate Professor, and in 2004 – Full Professor at the Department of Constitutional Law and Political Systems at the Faculty of Law in Skopje. Prof. Siljanoska Davkova is the author or co-author of more than 200 titles in the field of law, political system and constitutional law. In 2016, students voted her the most inspiring professor at the Faculty of Law. She is the founder of clinical (practical) legal education in the Republic of Macedonia. She was the head of the Institute for Legal and Legal-Political Sciences and a member of the Dean’s Administration, as well as the head of the Department of Constitutional Law and Political System. She is one of the founders of political studies and political science in the country. In her social engagement, she was a member of the Constitutional Commission in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia (1991-1992); minister without portfolio in the Government of the Republic of Macedonia (1992-1994); president of the Coordinating Body for Cooperation with CEELI (Central and Eastern European Legal Initiative), 1992-1994, founded by the American Bar Association (ABA); founder and member of the First Macedonian Council of the European Movement; president of the Macedonian National Committee for Gender Equality (1999-2002); Chair of the Women’s Lobby, Gender Task Force (2002-2004); President of the Civic Movement of Macedonia (2004-2005); one of the founders of the Euro-Balkan Institute.

In 1991, she was a member of the expert group of the Geneva Conference on former Yugoslavia. Since 1994, she is among the experts on gender issues at the UNDP, and since 1998 – an expert on electoral issues at the UN. She was a member of the Steering Committee for Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) at the Council of Europe (1996-2002). She is a member of the International Association for Constitutional Law from 1999 until today. She is a member (from 2002 to 2023) of the Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, where she also served as vice-president (2004-2012). In the period 2008-2016, she represented the Republic of Macedonia in the Venice Commission. She is the recipient of many awards, including recognitions for her contribution to the rule of law from the OSCE Mission in Skopje and a medal for her work towards gender equality from the Women’s Union of Macedonia. In 2019, she was a candidate in the presidential elections supported by VMRO-DPMNE and the Coalition. In the early parliamentary elections in 2020, Siljanovska Davkova is the holder of the candidate list for deputies of VMRO-DPMNE and the Coalition in Electoral Unit 1.

As an independent member of parliament within the parliamentary group of VMRO-DPMNE and the Coalition, she was elected as: president of the Commission for Equality of Women and Men, member of the Commission for Political System and the Commission for Education, as well as the National Council for European Integration. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for Cooperation with the Swedish Parliament and the Commission for Cooperation with the Israeli Parliament. She is a deputy member of the Commission for European Affairs and the delegation to the OSCE. She is considered one of the most active MPs.

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova was born on 11 May 1953 in Ohrid; she is married and has two children.