Background
He was born in a prominent Serbian family of politicians and intellectuals.
He was born in a prominent Serbian family of politicians and intellectuals.
Saint Protić graduated from the University of Belgrade"s Law School in 1980, but was not allowed to pursue an academic career for political reasons.
He was the Ambassador of Serbia to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Mayor of Belgrade. His father was a renowned Yugoslav sportswriter and Fédération internationale de football association official Leaving the country, he continued graduate studies in the History department at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he received Master of Arts (1982) and Doctor of Philosophy (1987).
Upon his return to Yugoslavia, Protić entered the Institute for Balkan Studies as a Research Fellow.
He was a visiting professor at University of California Santa Barbara (1991–1992). He also gave lectures at universities in Thessaloniki, Paris, Cambridge, London, Harvard, Washington, District of Columbia and Toronto.
He is the author of several books about Serbian and Yugoslav 19th and 20th century history. From 1991, Saint Protić took an active part in the opposition movement against the regime of Slobodan Milošević.
On October 5, 2000, he was elected Mayor of Belgrade as the first official-elect of the new democratic government.
In February 2001, Protić was appointed Ambassador to the United States, but was recalled after six months due to public criticism of the Yugoslav President Vojislav Koštunica and his policies. In following years he was the Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Party of Serbia (Department of Health and Social Security). In January 2009, Saint Protić was appointed Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
He became one of the leading figures of the opposition movement and a member of its leadership in 1998.