Drnovšek, Janez

Drnovšek, Janez (b. 17 May 1950). Prime Minister of Slovenia, 1992–2000, 2000–  Born in Celje, he graduated with a doctorate in economics. He became director at a local bank before entering the diplomatic service. In 1984, Drnovšek became a Slovenian deputy in the Yugoslav parliament. In 1989, he was appointed Slovenia's representative in the Yugoslav State Council, whose chairman he became in 1990. He resigned shortly thereafter, when the Yugoslav army moved into Slovenia. In 1992 he became chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, and in April he presided over a transitional government which was confirmed by Slovenia's first free elections in December 1992. In subsequent years, Drnovšek benefited from the popularity of his economic and political reforms. These had stabilized the democracy and ensured a level of prosperity which contrasted sharply with the economic difficulties of the other former Yugoslav republics. As a result, Slovenia was in the front line of applicants to be admitted into NATO and the EU by 2004/2005.