# Rudolf Schuster

_Slovak President, head of Slovak National Council and politician_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/rudolf-schuster
Last updated: 2026-11-02

> Rudolf Schuster is a Slovak politician who served as the second president of Slovakia from 1999 to 2004. He was elected on 29 May 1999 and inaugurated on 15 June. In the presidential elections of April 2004, in which he sought re-election, Schuster was defeated. He received only 7.4% of the vote, with three other candidates receiving more than that. He was succeeded by Ivan Gašparovič.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 4 January 1934 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Košice ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Slovakia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; writer; diplomat ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P106))
- **Political party:** Party of Civic Understanding (1998–1999); Communist party of Slovakia (1964–1990) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P102))
- **Spouse:** Irena Schusterová ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Slovakia (15 June 1999 – 15 June 2004); Member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (30 October 1998 – 15 June 1999); mayor of Košice (1994–1999); mayor of Košice (1983–1986) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of the White Eagle; Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania; Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia; Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; honorary citizen of Miskolc; Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria; Honorary doctor of the University of Ottawa; Masaryk University Gold Medal; Andrej Hlinka Order Class I; Ľudovít Štúr Order 1st class; Milan Rastislav Štefánik Cross, First Class; Cross of Pribina class I; Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class; Grand Order of King Tomislav; National Order of Merit ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813#P166))

## Questions

**When was Rudolf Schuster born?**  
Rudolf Schuster was born on 4 January 1934 in Košice.

**What positions has Rudolf Schuster held?**  
Positions held by Rudolf Schuster include: President of Slovakia (1999–2004); Member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (1998–1999); mayor of Košice (1994–1999); mayor of Košice (1983–1986).

## Related

- [Ivan Gašparovič](https://diginpl.com/people/ivan-gasparovic)
- [Jozef Tiso](https://diginpl.com/people/jozef-tiso)
- [Mikuláš Dzurinda](https://diginpl.com/people/mikulas-dzurinda)
- [Vladimír Mečiar](https://diginpl.com/people/vladimir-meciar)
- [Michal Kováč](https://diginpl.com/people/michal-kovac)
- [Andrej Kiska](https://diginpl.com/people/andrej-kiska)
- [Peter Pellegrini](https://diginpl.com/people/peter-pellegrini)
- [Rudolf Bauer](https://diginpl.com/people/rudolf-bauer)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Rudolf Schuster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Schuster) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q163813](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163813) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Pres. Rudolf Schuster.jpg by Marián Gladiš (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pres._Rudolf_Schuster.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Rudolf Schuster, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Pres. Rudolf Schuster.jpg — Marián Gladiš, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Rudolf Schuster". DigiNepal. Last updated 2 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/rudolf-schuster. Retrieved 5 November 2026.