Anton Raicevich
Anton Raicevich | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 45th Premier of Werania | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2022 | |
| Monarch | Charlotte II |
| Deputy | Käthe Schickdanze Andrea Däubler |
| Preceded by | Otto von Hößlin |
| Leader of the National Consolidation Party | |
| Assumed office 30 June 2022 | |
| Deputy | Andrea Däubler |
| Preceded by | Otto von Hößlin |
| Minister-President of Wittislich | |
| In office 14 October 2016 – 3 August 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Moritz Freundlich |
| Succeeded by | Eckart Steinback |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 May 1979 Wiesstadt, Cislania, Werania |
| Political party | National Consolidation Party |
| Spouse | Emmy Wackernagel |
| Alma mater | Von Steinhaeuser University |
Other offices held
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Anton Klemens Danilo Raicevich (born 27 May 1979, aged 42) is a Weranian politician who is currently the Premier of Werania and the president of the National Consolidation Party. He formally served in the regional government of Wittislich first as secretary of the interior (2013-6) and subsequently as minister-president (2016-21). He was during his period as minister-president the youngest state leader in the country. Raicevich was Defence Minister from 2021-2022.
Born into a family of Carinthian descent Raicevich worked in the private sector before being the leader of the National Consolidation Party's youth branch, the New Generation Forum (NGF) in 2009. His tenure was controversial as the NGF became associated with the radical right. In 2013 he became a member of the Wittislich landtag becoming secretary of the interior.
Following a corruption scandal the minister-president Moritz Freundlich resigned with Raicevich taking his place in 2016. Aligned with NKP president Otto von Hößlin and his deputy Jörg Bullmann Raicevich led the NKP to a victory in the 2017 state election in Wittislich. Under his tenure in Wittislich Raicevich promoted tough law and order policies combined with tax cuts. When he left office he had a high approval rating albeit left behind a large deficit. In 2021 Raicevich was appointed Minister of Defence following the resignation of Ulrich Furler.
Raicevich is considered to be closer to the populist and nationalist wing of the NKP. He ran in the 2022 National Consolidation Party leadership election and won, succeeding von Hösslin in July 2022. He led the party to a majority government in the 2023 Weranian federal election.
Early life and education
Anton Klemens Danilo Raicevich was born in Wiesstadt in the Blomberg district in 1979. His grandfather Danilo Rajčević (born in 1915) had emigrated from Carinthia in 1948 due to the devastation Etruria endured due to the Solarian War settling in Wiesstadt. His father Marjan (born in 1944) would Weranicise the family name to Raicevich and his own name to Marius, marrying Lotte Siegen in 1967 after training as an economist lecturing at the University of Wiesstadt. Raicevich would be the third child of the father with his older brother Gerhardt being born in 1971 and his sister Alena in 1976. The family moved to Mechern in Wittislich in 1981 after Marius became a consultant for the Wittislich-based financial firm Rustow Trust leaving academia.
Raicevich received a private education at the Ludwigheim Elementary School and the King Joachim Gymnasium, the latter of which was a religious school in the provincial capital Bürchaft. Raicevich was raised Catholic.
In 1998 he passed his abitur but failed to pass the entrance exam for the University of Wiesstadt. He instead studied Law and Political Studies at the Von Steinhaeuser University in Westbrücken passing a state exam in 2006. After passing the bar, Raicevich became a lawyer specializing in business and family law in Westbrücken.
Political career
State politics
During his time at university Raicevich became a member of the New Generation Forum, the youth wing of the National Consolidation Party. After finishing his studies he became the chief of staff to Jörg Bullmann, a member of Bundestag becoming close to a group within the NKP that advocated a more right-wing position.
Minister-President
Federal politics
2022 NKP leadership election
Premier
Political views
Economic policy
Raicevich has promoted reducing government spending and limiting fiscal drag (kalte progression) through reducing income taxation. During his leadership campaign Raicevich called deflation the "biggest threat to the Weranian economy" due to the previous social-democratic government enforcing a large tax burden and failing to stimulate growth. Raicevich has stated that the government should pursue an expansionary fiscal policy whilst ensuring inflation does not exceed the 2% target. He has stated that the unofficial schuldenbremse should not be used to limit growth on infrastructure and strategic projects.
Raicevich has also supported consolidating national champions calling a laissez faire approach "economic suicide". Raicevich has called for the re-creation of the großkombinat's, large business conglomerates that were supported by state-intervention from the 1930s to the 1980s that resemble the vertically integrated keiretus in Senria. Raicevich has stated that the social market economy approach overemphasises regulating competition and supports accommodating natural monopolies in certain contexts to limit potential market failure from "inefficient competition". Some have commentated that Raicevich is inspired by liberal corporatism supporting a deregulated free market whilst supporting capital-labour cooperation.