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Slovenia prime minister coasting to presidency
By Eugene Brcic, Associated Press, 11/10/2002
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia - There can be no mistaking that this former
Yugoslav
republic sees itself as part of the West.
Modern multilane highways that look like German autobahns link the
capital, Ljubljana, to Italy and Austria, while those heading
eastward to
Croatia become narrow, bumpy two-lane roads.
As Slovenians choose a president today, they are expected to
reward the
man widely credited with moving the country so quickly toward the
West Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek.
Drnovsek, who has led the country since 1992 except for six months
in
2000, is the clear favorite to succeed the outgoing president,
Milan Kucan
- himself a popular statesmen who is barred by the constitution
from
seeking a third term.
If Drnovsek, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, wins, he will
become the
second president of this tiny Alpine country of 2 million, which
won its
independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Although eight other candidates are on the ballot for the largely
ceremonial post, all polls predict that Drnovsek will easily
defeat his
rivals.
Some polls have even indicated that the 52-year-old - who
underwent
surgery to have a cancerous kidney removed three years ago - could
muster
more than 50 percent of the ballot in the first round and avoid a
runoff.
This story ran on page A12 of the Boston Globe on 11/10/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.
BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Prime minister ahead in Slovenia election
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Sunday, 10 November, 2002, 20:33 GMT
Prime minister ahead in Slovenia election
Drnovsek will most likely still face a run off
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek has won the most votes in
Slovenia's presidential election, according to partial official
results.
However he does not seem to have won enough support to avoid a
second-round run-off.
With more than one quarter of ballots counted, results showed that
Mr
Drnovsek, the election favourite, had won about 45% of the vote.
His closest rival, former state prosecutor Barbara Brezigar who
was
expected to mount a strong challenge, has about 30% of the vote.
None of the other seven candidates won more than 10% of the vote,
French
news agency AFP reported.
Mr Drnovsek, who is backed by outgoing president Milan Kucan, told
Slovenian radio that he was "pleased" with the provisional results
but
that he "expected" to go to a second round.
Transition
The election marks the end of an era for Slovenia, with the
retirement of
the man who led the country to independence from Yugoslavia.
Mr Kucan, the country's president since 1990 and referred to by
many
Slovenes as "the father of the nation", is standing down after
more than a
decade in office.
Mr Drnovsek was always the clear favourite; prime minister since
1992, he
is credited with steering the country through its transition to a
market
economy.
If elected for the largely ceremonial post of president, his main
task
will be to take Slovenia into the European Union and Nato negotiations
are due to be completed in the next few months.
Slovenia escaped almost unscathed from the disintegration of the
old
Yugoslavia - its self-proclaimed war of independence in 1991
lasted 10
days and claimed a handful of lives. See also:
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International News
Slovenian prime minister dominates in presidential race
By EUGENE BRCIC
The Associated Press
11/10/02 6:56 PM
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) -- Slovenia's prime minister dominated in
presidential elections Sunday, bolstered by his push to align the tiny
alpine nation closer with Western Europe, early results showed.
Janez Drnovsek, 52, won support with a pragmatic style that has steered
the country away from the intrigues of the Balkans and into the European
mainstream, but fell short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.
"I am optimistic about the second round," Drnovsek said. "I am glad that
so many people support me at this stage."
With 95 percent of the vote counted, the State Electoral Commission gave
him 44.4 percent of the vote. He will face prosecutor Barbara Brezigar
who finished with 31 percent, in a runoff Dec. 1.
"I am very pleased with the results," Brezigar said. "I think we need to
see new people leading this country."
The race will choose the successor to Milan Kucan, the leader credited
with bringing Slovenia independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. The 61year-old Kucan is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term.
Drnovsek, who has been premier since 1992 for all but a brief period in
2000, was among nine candidates who sought the ceremonial post. If there
is no outright winner, the two top candidates will face off in a second
round of voting on Dec. 1.
Drnovsek downplayed the possibility of outright victory Sunday as he
voted at a fire station near his house.
"It's hard to expect victory in the first round," he said. "There are so
many candidates. It is more realistic to expect a second round."
The weather was cool but sunny, and officials predicted a big turnout
among the country's 1.6 million eligible voters.
Drnovsek's main challenger was
who has built a reputation for
She served as justice minister
interrupted Drnovsek's rule in
Brezigar, a 49-year-old state prosecutor
fighting organized crime and corruption.
in the short-lived government that
2000.
In third place was a nationalist, Zmago Jelincic, with 8.5 percent.
The other candidates include a former director of the central bank,
France Arhar; a former parliamentary speaker, France Bucar; university
lecturers Lev Kreft and Anton Bleber; an artist, Gorazd Drevensek; and a
scientist, Jure Cekuta.
3
An economist by training, Drnovsek has endeared himself to voters with a
no-nonsense style and an embrace of the West.
Under his leadership, Slovenia has moved swiftly toward membership in
Western organizations -- successes which he referred to often in the
campaign.
"When I started off in politics my vision was clear -- the European
Union and NATO," he said recently. "Now we are only a step away."
The mild-mannered politician has suffered, however, from fragile health
since having a cancerous kidney removed three years ago.
Despite Drnovsek's popularity, he doesn't lack critics. Some of his
rivals have accused him of acting against the country's long-term
interests by selling profitable state companies in his zeal to move
toward a market economy.
He is counting, however, on voters like Bisera Dolenc, a 44-year-old
secretary, to reward his vision.
"I voted for the man who has successfully led us into Western Europe
because he will know to how to lead us further," Dolenc said.
The country is expected to receive an invitation to join NATO at a
summit in the Czech Republic later this month and is set to join the EU
in 2004.
Slovenia has one of the Continent's most promising economies, with low
inflation and unemployment and steady annual growth at around 4 percent.
It is also one of Europe's safest countries.
Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed.
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Tuesday, November
12, 2002. Posted: 00:50:13 (AEDT)
Slovenian President to step down
Slovenian President Milan Kucan, who led the country to independence in
a move which triggered a series of wars that tore Yugoslavia apart, is
to step down on December 23.
Ex-communist Mr Kucan, 61, who is also commander-in-chief of Slovenia's
armed forces, has held senior posts in the tiny Alpine country for 16
years.
4
He studied politics at the Ljubljana Law Faculty in 1964, began his
political career in the former Yugoslav League of Communists, and rose
to lead Slovenia's communists in 1986.
The group was among the first to urge the Yugoslav Federation to make
democratic changes after lifelong President Josip Broz, known as "Tito",
died, leaving Yugoslavia without a strong leader.
Slovenia's calls for change shook the structure of the federation and
polarised its six republics, with Mr Kucan on one side and on the other
Serb President Slobodan Milosevic, currently standing trial for genocide
and war crimes in The Hague.
Aware that the era of communist rules was over, Mr Kucan led reforms of
Slovenia's communists and was elected president of the Yugoslav Republic
of Slovenia in its first democratic ballots in 1990.
As nationalistic feeling spread throughout Yugoslavia's republics, Mr
Kucan backed Slovenia's bid for independence despite warnings from the
United States that the state, with its 2 million population, would not
be internationally recognised.
Slovenia and neighbouring Croatia were the first former Yugoslav
republics to proclaim independence on June 25, 1991, a move, opposed by
Belgrade, that triggered a series of wars as Yugoslavia tore apart.
A day later a week long conflict between the former Yugoslav People's
Army (JNA), based in Slovenia, and local defence erupted, ending with
the withdrawal of the JNA troops.
In 1992 Mr Kucan easily won independent Slovenia's first presidential
elections as an independent candidate, and in 1997 he was elected to his
second and final mandate.
As his term comes to an end, Mr Kucan has made it clear that he is not
retiring for good and will still be part of domestic and international
political life in the central European country.
Seen as the discreet but strong father of the nation, Mr Kucan can often
be found climbing Slovenia's highest peak on the Triglav Mountain
without any bodyguards.
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© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP),
AAP(International), APTN, Reuters, CNN and
the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of UTC
(Greenwich Mean Time)
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Change to World
Monday, 11 November, 2002, 19:57 GMT
Slovenia poll goes to second round
The election's second round will be held on 1 December
Voters in Slovenia will have to go to the polls for a second time to
choose the new president who will have the task of negotiating the
country's entry into the European Union and Nato.
First-round results
Janez Drnovsek: 44.36%
Barbara Brezigar: 30.75%
The country's Prime Minister, Janez Drnovsek, won the most votes in the
presidential poll held on Sunday, but failed to secure the 50% of the
vote needed to avoid a run-off.
He will now face his nearest rival, the centre-right candidate Barbara
Brezigar, in the second round of voting on 1 December.
Drnovsek: Clear favourite to win
Turnout was high, at more than 71%, in Sunday's historic ballot to
replace President Milan Kucan, who led the former Yugoslav republic to
independence.
Mr Drnovsek is head of the Liberal Democrats and he is being backed by
Mr Kucan.
Even though his victory in the run-off round is widely predicted, the
growing popularity of Ms Brezigar could make her a tougher challenger
than expected.
Click here for a map of Slovenia
None of the other seven candidates won more than 10% of the vote, French
news agency AFP reported.
Transition
6
The election marks the end of an era for Slovenia, with the retirement
of the man who led the country to independence from Yugoslavia.
Mr Kucan, the country's president since 1990 and referred to by many
Slovenes as "the father of the nation", is standing down after more than
a decade in office.
Mr Drnovsek was always the clear favourite; prime minister since 1992,
he is credited with steering the country through its transition to a
market economy.
If elected for the largely ceremonial post of president, his main task
will be to take Slovenia into the European Union and Nato - negotiations
are due to be completed in the next few months.
Slovenia escaped almost unscathed from the disintegration of the old
Yugoslavia - its self-proclaimed war of independence in 1991 lasted 10
days and claimed a handful of lives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web posted on November 11, 2002 at 9:00:00 AM CET
End of an era in Slovenia
Noel Grima, Political Editor
The first round of the presidential election in Slovenia yesterday did
not produce an outright winner, but it did bring an end to an era in
Slovenian history. Yesterdays election marks the end of the second term
for Milan Kucan, the only president Slovenia has ever had in its short
11-year history. Present Prime Minister Jane Drnov1ek obtained between
45 and 47 per cent of the polls, according to exit polls published a few
minutes after voting ended at 7pm.
He thus goes into the
Barbara Brezigar, the
per cent of the vote.
representative to the
April 1989.
second round, held in three weeks time against
state prosecutor, who obtained between 25 and 28
Mr. Drnov1sek was elected as Slovenias
collective presidency of the former Yugoslavia in
In March 1992, he became head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDS) and
later that year he became prime minister of Slovenia. He started his
second term in office following LDS victory at parliamentary elections
in 1992. His third term at the prime ministers office began in 1997 but
ended prematurely after he failed to survive a no-confidence vote in
2000.
Parliamentary elections in November 2000 put Mr Drnov1ek back in office.
Ms Brezigar began her legal career as district state prosecutor at the
Ljubljana public prosecutors office in 1980. In 1996 she was appointed
as the first head of a special task force of public prosecutors, a team
within the state prosecutors office in charge of fighting organised
crime. She was appointed minister of justice in the caretaker government
in 2000. Following general elections in November 2000, she returned to
7
the office of the state prosecutor and continued her work there. The
presidential election first round result has no bearing on the countries
approach to the EU. Most of the parties in parliament support accession,
as does most of the population.
The presidential election could thus concentrate on the usual political
issues in most countries: the economy, unemployment and the management
of the country. It is not immediately clear why Dr Drnov1sek chose to
campaign for the presidency, although he may have felt that two terms as
prime minister were enough for him.
The presidency, according to the Slovenian constitution, does not have
many powers, although it carries the prestige of a head of state. It is
assumed that the present Minister of Finance will succeed Dr Drnov1sek
if and when he becomes president in December. A moot point is whether Dr
Drnov1sek will be the one to take part in the Copenhagen summit, which
will confirm Slovenias place in the enlarged EU. Slovenia now averages
71 per cent of the EUs average GNP, with an average $15,000 income, with
unemployment low at 5.9 per cent, and inflation, which averaged 8.4 per
cent in 2001 and which is expected to average 6.9 per cent this year.
The two million Slovenes will vote in a referendum on EU accession,
sometime after the signing of the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003, in
Athens. (AP)
European Internet
Ten Years of Phare in Slovenia
Ten years have passed since Slovenia started receiving funds from the
EU's pre-accession aid programme Phare. To mark the occasion,
representatives of the Slovenian government and the European Commission
discussed the meaning of the programme for Slovenia, which receives EUR
30 million of Phare funds a year on average at a celebration that took
place in Friday, 8 November. The main speakers were Europe Minister
Janez Potocnik and Erwan Fouere, head of the European Commission
delegation in Ljubljana.
"Ten years is an impressive, enviable period. And such are - I can say
that with certainty - the achievements we have made in Slovenia with the
help of the Phare programme in this period," Europe Minister Janez
Potocnik said at the conference to mark ten years since Slovenia first
started receiving the Phare pre-accession aid. Since 1992 Slovenia
received more than EUR 300 million of funds from the EU through Phare,
which co-financed more than 100 projects.
The Phare programme was established in
countries of the former divided Europe
programme was a concrete expression of
members, said Ambassador Erwan Fouere,
Commission delegation to Slovenia.
1989. In the time when the
most needed help, the Phare
solidarity of the EU and its
the head of the European
The Phare programme in Slovenia first co-financed projects to help
restructure the economy, agriculture, public finance, banking,
environment, energy, and support investments in education, science and
technology.
8
Gradually, the aid grew into support of the implementation of the preaccession strategy, chiefly the adoption of EU-compatible legislation
and introduction of reforms to increase the competitiveness of economy
in an open market system. Phare funds also finance various projects of
cross-border co-operation of Slovenia with Italy, Austria and Hungary.
Slovenia on average received some EUR 33.6 million of financial aid
yearly and is among the most successful candidates in using the Phare
funds. It has used up all funds earmarked in the yearly financing
memoranda and its absorption capacity is over 90 percent.
In 2000, two other aid programmes were introduced, namely ISPA for
investments in the environment and transport infrastructure, and SAPARD
for agriculture. So far, Slovenia has, according to Minister Potocnik,
received around EUR 426.7 million of aid from all three programmes.
In a few years the Phare programme will cease as its purpose will have
been achieved, Potocnik explained. The results of the abundant aid that
Slovenia has used to implement a number of projects can be seen
throughout the country.
"Ahead of the upcoming conclusion of accession talks and not far from
the day when we will - I am confident about that - become a member of
the EU, the results give us a fare share of optimism and selfconfidence," the minister said in his speech at the occasion.
After Slovenia enters the EU, the Phare programme will be substituted by
structural funds, namely the European Social Fund and the European
Regional Development Fund. Cross-border co-operation, on the other hand,
is financed by the Interreg programme within the EU.
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