Nikica Valentić (Cinco De Mayo)

 Nikica Valentić (born November 24, 1950) was a Croatian politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 1990 to 1994, his term bookended by Stjepan Mesić's two terms as Prime Minister. During his term, he helped end some of the privatization programs of the 1980s, oversaw Croatia's rapid demilitarization following the Cold War, and his term was the most economically stable in Croatia since the mid-1970s. Though the HDZ won more seats than any other party in 1994, moderates defected en-masse after Valentić was challenged immediately after the election by hardliners and the HDZ's numbers were reduced. Valentić resigned in favor of his close confidant Zlatko Matesa, who would serve as Prime Minister from 1997 until 2001.