Dimitrij Rupel
Career in national politics
### Career in national politics

Together with other Slovene intellectuals in the 1980s, initiated and edited the alternative and dissident journal *[Nova Revija](/wiki/Nova_revija_%28magazine%29 "Nova revija (magazine)")*, which later became the platform for democratic reform in the [Socialist Republic of Slovenia](/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Slovenia "Socialist Republic of Slovenia").

In 1987, he was among the authors of the [Contributions to the Slovenian National Program](/wiki/Contributions_to_the_Slovenian_National_Program "Contributions to the Slovenian National Program"), an intellectual manifesto that demanded a democratic, pluralistic and sovereign Slovenian state. The publication of the manifesto by the journal *Nova revija*, edited by Rupel, caused a huge scandal in Yugoslavia, and Rupel was forced to step down as editor. In 1989, he was one of the founders of the [Slovenian Democratic Union](/wiki/Slovenian_Democratic_Union "Slovenian Democratic Union") (*Slovenska demokratična zveza*, SDZ), one of the first parties that opposed [Communist](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Slovenia "Communist Party of Slovenia") rule.

After the victory of the anti\-Communist [DEMOS coalition](/wiki/DEMOS_coalition "DEMOS coalition") in the first free elections in Slovenia in 1990, Rupel was appointed as State Secretary for International Cooperation in the cabinet of [Lojze Peterle](/wiki/Lojze_Peterle "Lojze Peterle"), thus becoming *de facto* the first [foreign minister](/wiki/Foreign_minister "Foreign minister") of the [Republic of Slovenia](/wiki/Republic_of_Slovenia_%281990-1991%29 "Republic of Slovenia (1990-1991)"), which was then seeking independence from Yugoslavia. During his term in office, Slovenia declared its independence and gained international recognition. Rupel also remained in office during the first centre\-left coalition government led by [Janez Drnovšek](/wiki/Janez_Drnov%C5%A1ek "Janez Drnovšek").

In 1991, the Slovenian Democratic Union suffered an internal split: Rupel led its left\-wing fraction, formed among others by [Jelko Kacin](/wiki/Jelko_Kacin "Jelko Kacin"), [Igor Bavčar](/wiki/Igor_Bav%C4%8Dar "Igor Bavčar"), and [France Bučar](/wiki/France_Bu%C4%8Dar "France Bučar"), into the formation of a new party, called the [Democratic Party](/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28Slovenia%29 "Democratic Party (Slovenia)"). The same year, he was elected its president. In the elections of 1992, the new party suffered a defeat, but Rupel managed to be elected a representative in the [National Assembly of Slovenia](/wiki/National_Assembly_of_Slovenia "National Assembly of Slovenia"). In 1994, most of Rupel's party merged into the [Liberal Democracy of Slovenia](/wiki/Liberal_Democracy_of_Slovenia "Liberal Democracy of Slovenia") party, led by [Janez Drnovšek](/wiki/Janez_Drnov%C5%A1ek "Janez Drnovšek"). In 1994, he ran for [mayor](/wiki/Mayor "Mayor") of [Ljubljana](/wiki/Ljubljana "Ljubljana") and took office in 1995\. He remained in this position until 1997, when he was appointed [ambassador](/wiki/Ambassador "Ambassador") to the [United States](/wiki/United_States "United States").

Rupel returned to the post of the foreign minister of Slovenia in 2000 in the third cabinet of [Janez Drnovšek](/wiki/Janez_Drnov%C5%A1ek "Janez Drnovšek"). He remained in this position until July 2004, when Prime Minister [Anton Rop](/wiki/Anton_Rop "Anton Rop") replaced him with [Ivo Vajgl](/wiki/Ivo_Vajgl "Ivo Vajgl"). He returned to his seat in parliament, left the [Liberal Democracy of Slovenia](/wiki/Liberal_Democracy_of_Slovenia "Liberal Democracy of Slovenia") party, and joined the opposition [Slovenian Democratic Party](/wiki/Slovenian_Democratic_Party "Slovenian Democratic Party"). In October 2004, this party won [the election](/wiki/2004_Slovenia_parliamentary_elections "2004 Slovenia parliamentary elections") and Rupel became foreign minister in [Janez Janša](/wiki/Janez_Jan%C5%A1a "Janez Janša")'s centre\-right government when it was approved by parliament on 3 December 2004\. After years of negotiations, disagreements and delays he signed the [Agreement on Succession Issues of the Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia](/wiki/Agreement_on_Succession_Issues_of_the_Former_Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia "Agreement on Succession Issues of the Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia") on behalf of Slovenia.

During 2005 he was the chairman\-in\-office of the [OSCE](/wiki/Organization_for_Security_and_Co-operation_in_Europe "Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe").

In 2008, after the victory of the centre\-left coalition led by [Borut Pahor](/wiki/Borut_Pahor "Borut Pahor"), Rupel was replaced as foreign minister by [Samuel Žbogar](/wiki/Samuel_%C5%BDbogar "Samuel Žbogar"). However, he was nominated by newly elected Prime Minister Borut Pahor as his personal Special Envoy for Foreign Affairs.


What was the name of the intellectual manifesto that demanded a democratic, pluralistic, and sovereign Slovenian state?