Radicová, Iveta

Radičová, Iveta,

1956–, Slovakian political leader, b. Bratislava. A sociologist, she graduated from the Univ. of Bratislava (B.A., 1979; Ph.D., 1981), later teaching at Comenius Univ. and doing research (1979–89) at the Slovak Academy of Sciences. She became director of the Academy's sociology institute in 2005. Politically active from the late 1980s, she founded (1991) and directed an institute studying social policy until she became (2005–6) minister of labor, social affairs, and family. In 2006 she joined the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) and was elected to parliament. She ran for president in 2009 but lost to incumbent Ivan Gasšparovič. Heading the SDKU from early 2010, she became prime minister a center-right coalition government after elections in June, 2010.