Janez Drnovšek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janez Drnovšek
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Drnovšek in 2004
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| 2nd President of Slovenia | |
| In office 22 December 2002 – 23 December 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Anton Rop Janez Janša |
| Preceded by | Milan Kučan |
| Succeeded by | Danilo Türk |
| Prime Minister of Slovenia | |
| In office 30 November 2000 – 19 December 2002 |
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| President | Milan Kučan |
| Preceded by | Andrej Bajuk |
| Succeeded by | Anton Rop |
| In office 14 May 1992 – 7 June 2000 |
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| President | Milan Kučan |
| Preceded by | Lojze Peterle |
| Succeeded by | Andrej Bajuk |
| 11th President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia | |
| In office 15 May 1989 – 15 May 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Ante Marković |
| Preceded by | Raif Dizdarević |
| Succeeded by | Borisav Jović |
| 11th Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement | |
| In office 7 September 1989 – 15 May 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Mugabe |
| Succeeded by | Borisav Jović |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 May 1950 Celje, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia |
| Died | 23 February 2008 (aged 57) Zaplana, Slovenia |
| Political party | Movement for Justice and Development (2006–2008) |
| Other political affiliations |
League of Communists (Before 1990) Liberal Democracy (1990–2006) |
| Spouse |
Majda Drnovšek
(div. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Ljubljana University of Maribor |
| Signature |  |
Janez Drnovšek (born May 17, 1950 – died February 23, 2008) was an important Slovenian politician. He served as the President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1990. Later, he became the Prime Minister of Slovenia for many years (1992–2002). Finally, he was the President of Slovenia from 2002 to 2007. He played a key role in Slovenia's journey to becoming an independent country.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Janez Drnovšek was born in Celje, Slovenia. He grew up in a small town called Kisovec. His father, Viktor, worked as a mine chief, and his mother, Silva, was a homemaker.
He studied economics at the University of Ljubljana and earned his degree in 1973. While studying, he also gained experience working at a bank in France. At 25, he became a chief financial officer at a construction company. He also worked as an economic adviser at the Yugoslav embassy in Egypt for a year.
In 1986, he earned his doctorate from the University of Maribor. Before entering national politics, he led a local bank branch in his home region.
Becoming a Leader in Yugoslavia
In 1989, Janez Drnovšek became well-known when he was chosen to represent Slovenia in the collective presidency of Yugoslavia. This was a big deal because he was elected by the public, which was a new way of choosing leaders at that time.
He served as the chairman of this presidency from 1989 to 1990. During this time, he was also the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of countries not allied with any major power bloc. He was also the commander of the Yugoslav People's Army.
After Slovenia decided to become independent from Yugoslavia, Drnovšek helped to peacefully end the Ten Day War. He used his position to help negotiate the Brioni Agreement, which led to the peaceful withdrawal of the Yugoslav army from Slovenia.
Leading Slovenia as Prime Minister
In 1992, Janez Drnovšek became the second Prime Minister of Slovenia. He was chosen because he was seen as a good compromise candidate and an expert in economics. His government included different political parties working together.
He soon became the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDS). Under his leadership, the LDS won parliamentary elections in 1992 and 1996, making it the largest party in the government. He led the government until May 2000, and then returned to power in late 2000 after his party won the elections again.
Drnovšek's governments helped Slovenia rebuild its economy and political system. He successfully shifted Slovenia's trade away from old Yugoslavia and towards Western countries. He also helped Slovenia move from a communist-era business model to a more market-based system.
Under his leadership, Slovenia became a strong parliamentary democracy. Drnovšek focused on forming broad coalitions, bringing different parties together.
He was a strong supporter of Slovenia joining the European Union and NATO. He played a big part in Slovenia successfully becoming a member of both organizations. As Prime Minister, he was also active in foreign policy. For example, in 2001, he helped arrange a meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Slovenia. In 2002, he ran for President of Slovenia and won.
President of Slovenia and His New Path
Drnovšek's time as President was quite unique. For the first few years, he mostly focused on his official duties. However, around 2006, he started to change his public style. He began new efforts in foreign policy, like a humanitarian mission to Darfur and ideas for solving the political situation in Kosovo.
In January 2006, he left the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia party. Soon after, he started the Movement for Justice and Development. He said this movement was not about politics, but about "raising human consciousness" and making the world better.
Working with the Government
After the 2004 elections, a new government was formed with a different political party in charge. This meant that for the first time in a long while, the President and the Prime Minister were from different political groups.
Drnovšek had been ill with kidney cancer. When he returned to public life in late 2005, he had changed his lifestyle. He became a vegan and moved to the countryside. He also stepped away from party politics. People noticed his new approach and some called him "Slovenia's Gandhi".
His relationship with the new government became difficult. They disagreed on some of his foreign policy ideas. They also had disagreements about who should be appointed to important positions, like the head of the Bank of Slovenia. Even though his political support changed after his personal transformation, many people still supported him against the government in public polls.
In his last months as President, Drnovšek continued to share his opinions. He became a blogger, writing about various topics like foreign policy, the environment, human relationships, and animal rights. He spent his time promoting his new lifestyle and ideas through the Movement for Justice and Development.
His Books and Ideas
During his time as President, Janez Drnovšek wrote several books about spiritual philosophy. These included Thoughts on Life and Consciousness and The Essence of the World. He said he wrote these books very quickly because he felt connected to a "higher consciousness."
His ideas were a mix of different traditions, including Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. He also respected the traditions of native cultures around the world. For example, he attended the inauguration of Evo Morales, the first native American president of Bolivia. After his cancer diagnosis, he became a vegan and believed it helped his health.
Because of his new lifestyle and the topics in his books, some people linked him to the New Age movement. However, he felt that label was too narrow for his beliefs.
Personal Life
Janez Drnovšek was very good with languages. He could speak Slovene, Serbo-Croatian, English, Spanish, French, and German.
He was divorced and had a son named Jaša Drnovšek, who works as a translator and journalist. In 2005, he also learned he had a daughter, Nana Forte, who is a well-known composer. His sister, Helena Drnovšek Zorko, has served as the Slovenian ambassador to Japan.
His Passing
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In 1999, Drnovšek was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had a kidney removed. Later, in 2001, he had cancerous growths on his lungs and liver. He often said that nature was the best cure and spent most of his time at his home in the countryside.
Janez Drnovšek passed away on February 23, 2008, at the age of 57. His body was cremated. His remains were buried in a private ceremony in his hometown of Zagorje ob Savi, next to his parents.
Books by Drnovšek
- Pogovori (Conversations). Mladinska knjiga, 2007 COBISS 233261568
- Bistvo sveta (Essence of the World). Mladinska knjiga, 2006 COBISS 229734912
- Misli o življenju in zavedanju (Thoughts on life and awareness). Mladinska knjiga, 2006 COBISS 226607872
- Escape from Hell (published as e-book).
- El laberinto de los Balcanes. Edicciones B, 1999. COBISS 104335360
- Moja resnica : Jugoslavija 1989 - Slovenija 1991 (My truth: Yugoslavia 1989 - Slovenia 1991). Mladinska knjiga, 1996. COBISS 58078720
Honours
Foreign honours
Monaco : Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles (31 May 2006)
Slovakia : Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the Order of the White Double Cross (2003)
See also
In Spanish: Janez Drnovšek para niños
