Ľudovít KANÍK
Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic

Mr. Kaník was born in Hnúšťa, district Rimavská Sobota, on 1st September 1965. After finishing the Secondary Grammar School, he studied at the University of Economics in Bratislava and completed it in 1988.

Following that Mr. Kaník took his first job of a head of the Financial Department of the Municipality Office in Banská Štiavnica. He served his military service in Prešov.

From 1990 to 1991 Mr. Kaník worked as a director of the Department of small-scale privatisation and auctions at the Ministry of Administration and Privatisation of the National Property SR. Between 1992 and 1998 he served in different managerial positions in private sector.

In 1998 Mr. Kaník was appointed President of the National Property Fund of the Slovak Republic. During the year in the office he succeeded in correcting privatisation of well-known privatisation causes of preceding period such as Nafta Gbely, Istrochem Bratislava and Spas of Piešťany, Sliač and Kováčová. After leaving the National Property Fund SR, he took a position of a manager in the private sector.

On 16th October 2002, Mr. Kaník was appointed Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic.

Being a member of Democratic Party, he was elected Deputy Leader for the Party structure and organisation and for media at the Party Conference in Prešov, on 10th June 2000. In February 2001, at the Democratic Party Conference in Banská Bystrica, he was first elected 1st Deputy Leader of the Party and subsequently in repeated elections Leader of the Party.

Among his hobbies belong skiing and hiking. The Minister is fluent in English. He is married and has three children. He lives with his family in Banská Štiavnica.