Saša Mlinarić

Saša Mlinarić
Executive of the Syaran Commonality
In office 1 August, 1988 – 15 July, 1996
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Zhivko Hristovski
Supreme Commander of the Warden Armies
In office 16 May 1984 – 10 November 1988
Senator of Scitaria
In office 15 July, 1954 – 15 December 1983
Personal details
Born	8 October, 1915 Trenlica, Scitaria
Died	3 March, 2002 (Age 86) Zovahr
Nationality	Syaran
Political party	Union Party
Alma mater	Ghinnari State University
Military service
Allegiance	Republic of Syara
Branch/service	Army of the Syaran Republic
Years of service	1936-1952
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	Siduri War

Saša Mlinarić was a Syaran politician, statesman, general, and served as the first Executive of the Syaran Commonality from 1988 to 1996. For his role in the foundation of the Commonality, he is often referred to as the "Father of modern Syara".

An ethnic Scitarian, Mlinarić was born in Trenlica in 1915. He forgoed much of his secondary education due to high grades and enrolled in Ghinnari State University, where he graduated with a degree in law in 1936. Shortly after graduation he was pressed into service as an officer in the Army of the Syaran Republic due to the Siduri War. Mlinarić distinguished himself during the war despite only taking part for just over a year and elected to remain in the Army after the conclusion of hostilities. Mlinarić's work ethic and leadership led to a rapid promotion through the ranks before leaving in 1952 with the rank of Brigadier General. In 1954 he successfully ran for office as a Senator of Scitaria. His service in the Senate of Syara was noted for his heavy criticism leveled at what he called the "conservative aristocracy" that he said dominated the politics of Makedon and Galania. Mlinarić became an early proponent of the Warden Way and a very vocal supporter for the Warden cause within the Senate. As Syara neared a political and domestic crisis, Mlinarić remained a vocal supporter of the Wardens and helped complete their take over of the Senate, prying it from pro-Monarchist elements. Following the death of President Momchil Gavrilov Tsankov and the ensuing Refusal Crisis Mlinarić assisted in mobilizing pro-Warden factions within the government, armed forces, and Syaran society at large. When the Refusal War broke out in full in 1983 Mlinarić joined with the Wardens despite being 68 years old.

Because of his popularity, military experience, and gravitas, Mlinarić quickly became the de facto leader of the Wardens, although he would go on record maintaining it was a cause led by committee. Mlinarić's leadership is generally credited with helping to keep the Wardens together despite early setbacks, and later helped to inflict a series of defeats against the Royalists in 1985 and 1986. Following the end of the war in 1987 Mlinarić was critical in helping draft a new constitution, and bolstered by his popularity and war time leadership he was chosen as Executive in the Commonality's first election, assuming office on 1 August 1988. At 72 years of age when he was sworn in, he remains the oldest person to be elected Executive.

Much of his first term was dominated by post-war recovery and reconstruction in the aftermath of the Refusal War and securing a stable political scene for the newly founded Commonality. Despite his widespread reputation as an archetypal Warden, Mlinarić moderated many of his positions while in office. In one of his first acts as Executive he officially declared the remnants of the Galanian and Makedonian Royal Families as persona non grata, revoking their status as Syaran citizens but refused to request their extradition from Ossoria, despite demands to do so from many Warden hardliners. Although he passed the Faith Decree, which established Zobethos as Syara's national religion and made membership of it a pre-requisite for holding public office, he ignored demands to outlaw other faiths and declined to further integrate the Clergy further into Syaran politics. His tendency to retain many of the legacy political institutions and infrastructure from the Republic and rebrand it under the Commonality led some foreign analysts to claim that Mlinarić was "more rhetoric than revolution".

Economically Mlinarić focused on repairing Syara's damaged industrial and agricultural sectors, restoring Syaran food production to pre-war levels by 1991. He underwent an international tour of Tyran in 1990, which many saw as a diplomatic effort to improve public perception of Syara as a state ruled by religious fundamentalists and nationalists. He secured several loans and trade agreements throughout the 1990s, as well as other international arrangements that included an official alliance with Æsthurlavaj. By 1992 Syara was experiencing significant annual GDP growth, which helped Mlinarić secure a landslide victory in the 1992 national election where he faced minimal resistance. Mlinarić's second term largely focused on building off the foundation he had laid in the previous four years. In 1993 he signed the Commonality-Principality Border Agreement with Ruvelka, which recognized the border between the two nations, although the agreement was met with criticism in both countries. In 1994 facing a budget deficit and growing debt Mlinarić helped develop taxation reforms and reformed public spending. Although Syara experienced a minor recession in 1995, the decade saw Syara's economy grow to become the fifth largest in Tyran, a position it maintains to this day. Although many wanted him to run for a third time, Mlinarić experienced a series of health-related problems starting in 1996 that led him to decline running again. He retired from politics and the public eye shortly after leaving office in September 1996.

Mlinarić remained an immensely popular figure in Syara after his retirement. His autobiography The Great Journey became an instant best seller in Syara after being published in 1999. He attended the New Millennium Celebrations in Zovahr, which drew an estimated two million people and numerous foreign dignitaries. After suffering two strokes in 2001, he died in 2002. His state funeral was attended by over four million Syarans, and his image was commemorated on the 100 Drachma note. Numerous statues were erected in his honor, and more than 150 schools and public institutions have been named after him since his passing. Public polling has him routinely rated as one of Syara's greatest leaders, on par with Orestes II. service sector.