Education
After finishing primary and secondary education in Poreč, Jakovčić graduated from the University of Zagreb Faculty of Foreign Trade in 1980.
After finishing primary and secondary education in Poreč, Jakovčić graduated from the University of Zagreb Faculty of Foreign Trade in 1980.
In the 1980s Jakovčić worked in exports and marketing divisions of the Istrian company Pazinka and after that became an entrepreneur and took part in investments in Austria and Croatia. He was elected to the Croatian Parliament five times, in the 1992, 1995 and 2000 elections. However, when IDS decided to leave the ruling coalition in 2001 he resigned and ran in the local elections held the same year.
Jakovčić is also the longest serving party chairman in modern Croatia, having been leader of IDS continuously since 1991.
His sixth consecutive term as head of IDS was confirmed by acclamation at the party convention held on 14 February 2010. In 2014 he was elected as a deputy in the European Parliament.
On October 23, 2014 the European Parliament has received the request the removal of his immunity.
In 1991 he entered politics and was elected chairman of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), an Istrian regional party.