Milan Kučan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Milan Kučan
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Kučan in 2022
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| 1st President of Slovenia | |
| In office 23 December 1991 – 22 December 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Lojze Peterle Janez Drnovšek Andrej Bajuk Janez Drnovšek Anton Rop |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Janez Drnovšek |
| 13th President of the Presidency of Slovenia | |
| In office 10 May 1990 – 23 December 1991 |
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| Prime Minister | Dušan Šinigoj Lojze Peterle |
| Preceded by | Janez Stanovnik |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| 7th President of the League of Communists of Slovenia | |
| In office 19 April 1986 – 23 December 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Andrej Marinc |
| Succeeded by | Ciril Ribičič |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 January 1941 Križevci, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) |
| Political party | Social Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
League of Communists of Yugoslavia (until 1991) |
| Spouse |
Štefka Kučan
(m. 1964) |
| Children | 2 |
Milan Kučan (born 14 January 1941) is a Slovenian former politician. He was the very first President of Slovenia, serving from 1991 to 2002. Before that, he was the leader of Slovenia's government from 1990 to 1991, when it was still part of a larger country called Yugoslavia.
Kučan also led the main political party in Slovenia, the League of Communists of Slovenia, from 1986 to 1989.
Contents
Early Life and Political Start
Milan Kučan was born in 1941 in a small village called Križevci. He was one of five children in his family. His father passed away during World War II. During the war, his family lived in a part of Serbia.
Later, he studied law at the University of Ljubljana. He soon joined political groups that were important at that time. In 1968, he became the head of the Slovenian Youth Association. He continued to rise in politics, becoming a key figure in Slovenia's government.
In 1986, Kučan became the leader of the League of Communists of Slovenia. At this time, people in Slovenia wanted more freedom and democracy. This was different from the political ideas in other parts of Yugoslavia. Kučan supported human rights and democratic values. This led to disagreements with leaders in Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia. In January 1990, Kučan and the Slovenian group left a big meeting of the main political party in Yugoslavia. This event helped lead to the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Slovenia Becomes Independent
Slovenia was the first part of Yugoslavia to hold elections where many different political parties could take part. These elections happened in April 1990. Milan Kučan was chosen as the president of Slovenia's leadership group. He won against another important politician, Jože Pučnik.
Kučan did not want Yugoslavia to stay together through fighting. He wanted a peaceful way for countries to separate and then work together in new ways.
Slovenia declared its independence on 25 June 1991. In his speech, Kučan said, "Today dreams are allowed, tomorrow is a new day." The next day, the Yugoslav army started moving troops. This led to a short conflict called the Ten-Day War. Peace talks began, and the army eventually left Slovenia. Kučan represented Slovenia at peace meetings, where it was decided that former Yugoslav nations could become independent. On 22 May 1992, Kučan represented Slovenia when it became a new member of the United Nations.
After Slovenia became independent and was recognized by other countries, Kučan was elected as the first official President of Slovenia in 1992. He was re-elected for another five-year term in 1997. His time as president ended in December 2002. Janez Drnovšek became the next president.
In 2003, Slovenia held votes on whether to join the European Union (EU) and NATO. Milan Kučan actively encouraged people to vote yes. He believed this would help Slovenia achieve its goals after becoming independent. In May 2004, Slovenia became a full member of both the EU and NATO.
Since 2004, Kučan has been part of the Club of Madrid. This is a group of former democratic leaders who work to make democracy stronger around the world. He also leads Forum 21, a group in Slovenia that thinks about the country's future. He is also a member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation. This group works to fight against hatred and intolerance in Europe.
Personal Life
Milan Kučan married Štefka Kučan in 1964. They have two daughters. Their daughter Ana is a landscape architect and a professor. Their daughter Špela is an anthropologist, who studies human cultures. In 1991, Kučan said that every Slovene should climb Mount Triglav, which is the highest mountain in Slovenia.
Honours and Awards
Milan Kučan has received many awards and honours from different countries around the world. These awards recognize his important work and his contributions to Slovenia and international relations.
: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1992)
: Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX (1993)
: Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (1995)
: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (1997)
: Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (1997)
: Order of the Redeemer (1999)
: Grand Collar of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique (2000)
: Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav (2001)
: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross (2001)
: Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (2001)
: Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2002)
: Order of the Star of Romania (2002)
: Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Three Stars (2002)
: Order of the White Eagle (2002)
: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (2001)
: Gold Medal of the Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia (2003)
See also
In Spanish: Milan Kučan para niños
