On February 6th this year, the former president and prime minister of the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia passed away at the age of 57. Janez Drnovsek was prime minister of the independent Slovenia from 1992 until 2002, and president until last year. He was diagnosed with cancer, which led to his death last month.
The reason I mention this is that I feel he prevented the Balkans War of the 1990s becoming an international war. In 1991, Slovenia declared independence. Although federal Yugoslav forces tried to intervene, Mr Drnovsek brokered a deal, which led to their withdrawal from his country. There were frightening images in August 1991, when tanks lined up to the Austrian border, and other armoured vehicles rampaged through the capital Ljubljana. Without Mr Drnovsek's intervention, there was a distinct possibility of Austria becoming involved in the Yugoslav conflict.
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Sleep well Janez Drnovsek.
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