IN FOCUS

Dimitrij Rupel, Ph.D., Foreign Minister of Republic of Slovenia

Dimitrij Rupel was born on 7th April 1946 in Ljubljana, where he attended the Classical Gymnasium. He received a degree in world literature and sociology in 1970 at Ljubljana University. In the course of his studies he spent one year (1966-67) at the University of Essex in Great Britain and from 1971 to 1972 he studied at Brandeis University (USA) where he received a Ph.D. in sociology in 1976. Throughout this time he was publishing literary works, journalistic and critical articles, and was also active as a translator and editor. Some of the most important books written by Dimitrij Rupel are Hi kvadrat (Chi Square - 1975), Maks (Max - 1983), Povabljeni pozabljeni (Invited Forgotten - 1985), Levji delez (Lion's Share - 1989); scientific reviews and essays Svobodne besede (Free Words - 1976), Sociologija kulture in umetnosti (Sociology of Culture and Art - 1986), Slovenski intelektualci (Slovene Intellectuals - 1989), Svoboda proti drzavi (Freedom Against the State - 1998)...

The period after 1970 was unpleasant and difficult time both for Rupel and for most of the critical intellectuals. Owing to political difficulties he encountered while serving in the Yugoslav Army, he was - despite holding a PhD - not permitted to teach at Ljubljana University and could not further his academic career. From 1977 to 1978 he taught at Queen's University in Canada; in 1985 at the New York New School for Social Research and in 1989 at Cleveland State University.

The critical character of Rupel's texts and public addresses was intensifying, until he eventually became a dissident and finally an opposition politician. In the 80s he was, together with other writers and intellectuals the initiator and editor of the "alternative" magazine Nova revija which in 1987 published the "Slovene National Programme". This served in 1989 as a basis for the May Declaration which was massively signed by the Slovenes. Political provocation escalated to a direct confrontation with the communist power structure. At a crucial moment, together with his colleagues Rupel established and headed the Slovene Democratic Alliance which, prior to elections in 1990, united with other anti-communist parties to form DEMOS (Democratic Opposition of Slovenia). Its goal was to transform Slovenia into a democratic state; however, due to the situation in Yugoslavia and the authoritarian government of Milosevia, this proved impossible to achieve without Slovenia's independence. DEMOS won in the elections and Rupel became the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the independent Slovenia in the first democratic Slovene Government. In this capacity he made a major contribution to the international recognition of the new state. He described this crucial period in his autobiographical book Skrivnost drzave (Secret of State - 1992) which was followed in 1993 by Odearana Slovenija (Disenchanted Slovenia).

Dr Dimitrij Rupel remained in the office of Minister for around three years (1990- 1993), then served as a deputy in the National Assembly for almost three years (1993-1995). At the end of 1994 he was elected as mayor of the Slovene capital, Ljubljana, at the first direct elections. He discharged this function until autumn 1997 when he became Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Washington. In this period the American President Clinton paid a visit to Slovenia. At the beginning of 2000 Dr Rupel returned to Ljubljana and became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government under the premiership of Dr Janez Drnovsek. After the parliamentary elections held on 15 October 2000 he became a deputy in the National Assembly. On 1 December 2000 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new Government of Dr Drnovsek.

In 1992 Dr Rupel was elected Full Professor at the University of Ljubljana. He reads Latin, he speaks and writes several modern languages: English, German, Italian, French. In the past years he published several texts in the field of international relations and foreign policy. After 1994, when the Democratic Party united with the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia, Dr Rupel was Chairman of the Council and a member of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Ljubljana Committee, and he was throughout an active member of the party. Rupel is a member of several Slovene and international associations, e.g.: PEN, AAASS, Slovenian Writers' Association, Association of Sociologists etc.. Dr Dimitrij Rupel is married.