Dimitrij Rupel

Dimitrij Rupel ( born April 7, 1946 in Ljubljana) is a Slovenian sociologist, journalist and politician, and was Minister of Foreign Affairs of his country. From 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2008 he was the President of the Council of the European Union during the scheduled Slovenian EU Presidency.

Life

His studies at the University of Ljubljana, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in comparative literature and sociology. He then continued his studies at the University of Essex and at Brandeis University, where he received his doctorate in sociology in 1976. During this time he also published literary works, journalistic articles and reviews, and worked as a translator and editor. 1977 and 1978 he was a lecturer at Queen's University in Canada, then from 1985 at the New School for Social Research in New York and from 1989 at the Cleveland State University.

Together with other Slovenian intellectuals in exile, he founded the dissident journal Nova Revija that was for the democratic revolution in the People's Socialist Republic of Slovenia platform later.

In 1987 he was one of the authors of the Slovenian National Program, which called for a democratic, pluralistic and independent Slovenian state. Their publication in the Nova revija caused a scandal in Yugoslavia, and Rupel was forced to resign as editor. In 1989 he was one of the Mitbegrünger the Slovenian Democratic Union ( Slovenska demokratična zveza, SDZ ), one of the first democratic parties that challenged the communist regime.

Policy

In 1989 he was among the founders of the " Slovenska demokratična zveza " ( " Slovenian Democratic League " ), 1991 he was elected Chairman in " Demokratska stranka " ( " Democratic Party") renamed party.

From 1990 to 1993 Rupel was the first Foreign Minister of Slovenia. He was elected as a deputy to the National Assembly in 1993. 1994 Rupel was elected mayor of Ljubljana. This year, most members of his party were transferred to the party " Liberal Democracy of Slovenia " ( LDS). When he was appointed Slovenian Ambassador in the U.S. in 1997, he resigned from the office of mayor. In 2000, he again took over the post of Foreign Minister. He remained in this position until 2004; his successor was Ivo Vajgl.

Rupel left the LDS and joined the opposition, " the Slovenian Democratic Party" at. As the party in the elections in October 2004 won, he was again Secretary of State. As such, he was the Acting Chairman -in- Office of the OSCE in 2005. In his time as Secretary of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU fell from January to end of June 2008.

After the victory of the Social Democrats in the 2008 general election he was replaced on 21 November 2008 by Samuel Žbogar.