Milan Kučan
Milan Kučan | |
|---|---|
 Kučan in 2022 | |
| 1st President of Slovenia | |
| In office 23 December 1991 – 22 December 2002 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Children | 2 |
Milan Kučan (pronounced [ˈmíːlaŋ ˈkúːtʃan];[1][2] born 14 January 1941) is a Slovenian former politician who served as the first President of Slovenia from 1991 to 2002. Before being president of Slovenia, he was the 13th President of the Presidency of SR Slovenia from 1990 to 1991.
Kučan also served as the 7th President of the League of Communists of Slovenia from 1986 to 1989.
Early life and political beginnings
Kučan, one of five children, was born in a teachers' family. His parents were Koloman Küčan (1911–1944) and Marija Varga (1917–1975). He was raised in the village of
He later studied law at the
In May 1986, he became the leader of the League of Communists of Slovenia. At that time, liberal and democratic sentiment started to grow in Slovenia, as opposed to the political atmosphere of Belgrade and Serbia under Slobodan Milošević. Advocating in favour of human rights and European democratic values and principles, Kučan, his party and Slovenia faced increasingly severe political confrontations with Belgrade and Serbia.[4] On 23 January 1990, Kučan and the Slovenian delegation left the Party Congress. This was one of the factors that eventually led to the collapse of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, one of the pillars of the political system of the Socialist Yugoslavia.[citation needed]
Political career
Kučan strongly opposed the preservation of Yugoslavia through violent means.[citation needed] After the concept of a loose confederation had failed to gain support by the republics of Yugoslavia, Kučan favoured a controlled process of non-violent disassociation that would enable the collaboration of the former Yugoslav nations on a new, different basis.[citation needed]
Slovenia declared its independence on 25 June 1991. In his speech on the occasion, Kučan ended with the words: "Today dreams are allowed, tomorrow is a new day." On 26 June, the Yugoslav People's Army embarked on troop movements that later escalated into the Ten-Day War. As the peace talks began at Brioni, with the European Community as a mediator, the army started its withdrawal from Slovenia. Kučan represented Slovenia at the peace conference on former Yugoslavia in The Hague and Brussels which concluded that the former Yugoslav nations were free to determine their future as independent states. On 22 May 1992 Kučan represented Slovenia as it became a new member of the United Nations.[citation needed]
After the independence and the international recognition of Slovenia, Kučan was elected as the first
Since November 2004, Kučan has been a member of the
Kučan is also a member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, a not-for-profit organization established in 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe and make recommendations on fighting xenophobia and intolerance on the continent.[citation needed]
Personal life
Kučan married
Honours and awards
: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1992)[7]
: Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX (1993)[8]
: Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (1995)[8]- Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (1997)[8]
: Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (1997)
: Order of the Redeemer (1999)[8]- Order of Infante Dom Henrique(2000)
: Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav ("For outstanding contribution to the development of interstate relations and friendship between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia.", 5 December 2001)
: Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the Order of the White Double Cross (2001)[9]
: Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (2001)[8]
: Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2002)[8]
: Order of the Star of Romania (2002)[8]- Order of Three Stars(2002)
: Order of the White Eagle (2002)
: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (2001)[10]
: Gold Medal of the Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia (2003)[11]
References
- ^ "Slovenski pravopis 2001: Milan". "Slovenski pravopis 2001: Kučan".
- ^ Milan in isolation: [ˈmíːlan].
- ^ "Koloman Kučan". Žrtve II. sv. INZ, Zgodovina Slovenije – SIstory. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- TIME Magazine, 24 October 1988
- ^ The Club of Madrid
- ^ a b Živčec, Denis (19 October 2017). "Slovenske prve dame: Po čem smo si jih zapomnili?". Večer. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "President Milan Kucan".
- ^ a b c d e f g "President Milan Kucan".
- ^ Slovak republic website, State honours: 1st Class in 2001 (click on "Holders of the Order of the 1st Class White Double Cross" to see the holders' table)
- ^ "Modtagere af danske dekorationer". kongehuset.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 5 May 2019.
- ^ "Milan Kučan > Biografija".
External links
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