President turned mystic-idealistic; now denied travel money

A mixed bag for Slovenia's Drnovsek

By ALI H. ZERDIN, Associated Press Writer
Thu Sep 28

He has paid homage to nature by donning a wreath of leaves and greeting trees. He champions the world's poor and warns against relying too much on technology. Janez Drnovsek comes across as a New Age guru. He is also president of the Republic of Slovenia, a piece of the former Yugoslavia.

He says cancer put him through a spiritual transformation and that he cured himself without medical help.

While recovering, he moved from the capital, Ljubljana, to the remote village of Zaplana. He lives alone with his dog and has no TV. A vegan, he eats only self-baked bread and organic fruits and vegetables.

"It is hard for me to say if the change was only caused by the illness. It is true that the illness acts as a shock ?- it awakens one," Drnovsek told The Associated Press in his Ljubljana office.

"You start to think differently, make other priorities," he said. "I look at the world now from a different, wider perspective."

The new Drnovsek delights many in this New Jersey-sized country of just 2 million people. His book, "The Thoughts on Living and Becoming Conscious," is a best seller. Fans say he promotes good deeds and fights for the underdog. He is rated Slovenia's most popular politician.

"He's more a human being now than before, when he was only a politician," said Pero Popovic, a 25-year-old shop assistant. "I like him even more now."

But others say he should resign, complaining that he is using his largely ceremonial office to promote global issues that seem way above the station of a small southeast European country.

He has offered to mediate in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, and honored Evo Morales, Bolivia's first ethnic Indian president, by flying 6,700 miles to attend his inauguration.

"Now that he has begun to spend state money on his esoteric activities, he has crossed a line," Drago Bajt wrote in Mag, a prominent political weekly.

The new Drnovsek has also ruffled feathers by making U-turns on hot-button issues. Last year he unnerved Serbia, a valued trading partner, by openly supporting independence-seeking Albanians in Kosovo.

Having shepherded Slovenia into the European Union when he was prime minister, he now attacks its farm subsidies, saying the 25-nation club of democracies spends $2 a day on every cow ?- "more than half the human population gets."

Although as prime minister his government opposed the war in Iraq, as president he signed off this year on sending four Slovenian instructors to Baghdad to train Iraqis. Asked why, he suggested that supporting the Americans in Iraq might make them more willing to intervene in Darfur.

Drnovsek was prime minister for a decade after Slovenia won independence from Yugoslavia in 1992. He was elected president in 2002. In 1999 he had a cancerous kidney removed, and last year he revealed that doctors had diagnosed "formations" on his lungs and liver in 2001.

He didn't specify whether the "formations" were cancer, but says he cured himself simply by changing his diet and his way of living and thinking.

He is 56 years old and says he hasn't visited a doctor since January 2005.

"I have a feeling that the medical profession is worried because someone dared to treat himself without them," he said.

The doctors who treated him have not commented, but a retired surgeon, Tine Velikonja, recently claimed to have information about his diagnosis and said cancer would kill him within a year.

"I'll respond to his claims in 2008," Drnovsek retorted.

His openness marks a change in a country where communist rulers planted a culture of secrecy surrounding their private lives. Divorced with one grown son, Drnovsek said last year he had discovered he fathered a daughter before he married, and proudly presented her in public.

But Vladislav Pegan, head of the Slovenian medical association, says he should be even more open about his health and undergo a medical checkup. "That way, there would be fewer rumors, guesses, speculations."

"If the president is as healthy as he claims, then he should let the medical examination to confirm that," he said.

Although he emanates energy and an inner calm, Drnovsek collapsed at a public ceremony in July. Many Slovenes took that as a sign he hasn't kicked cancer, but his office blamed weakness caused by a four-day fast.

Drnovsek insists his constant activity is proof of his good health, and photos on his Web site show him cycling, skiing and hiking.

He says he won't run again when his term expires next year. But his newly formed Movement for Justice and Prosperity will compete in local elections next month and probably the next parliamentary vote in 2008. It promotes a healthy lifestyle and support for children, the elderly and animals.

The time has come for Slovenia to take a look around the world, present itself and make a statement

Ljubljana, 09/26/2006 | press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Janez Drnovšek, gives a brief statement about the so-called excessive squandering by the President:

"I would like us to end the unproductive discussion on the financing of the Office of the President of the Republic of Slovenia and on who is to blame for what. I hope that this will never happen again in Slovenia.

Nevertheless, I would like to add a few words on the so-called excessive squandering of funds by the President.

In the past three years in office, I did not travel much and have not accepted all invitations. In the first half of this year, I received three invitations to visit countries on other continents and I decided to accept these invitations. I believe the time has come for Slovenia to take a look around the world, to present itself and make a statement.

I attended the inauguration of Bolivian President Evo Morales. I estimated that this was a historic event, since this is the first indigenous president and the majority indigenous population thus symbolically ended 500 years of colonial tradition. The event attracted global attention and South America's in particular. People in Bolivia and other countries of Latin America heard my speech and my interviews. When I attended the ancient Indian rituals together with President Morales, I was welcomed by hundreds of thousands of people, and pictures were sent round the world. The following day during a walk through the Bolivian capital I was greeted by numerous passers-by who by then all recognised the Slovenian President although they have never before heard of him or of Slovenia.

My second visit was to India. It lasted only a day and I attended a mass gathering of more than two million people who were joined by the main spiritual leaders of India. In addition to those present at the gathering, my speech was followed by several hundred million spectators in a live broadcast. There is no better opportunity to promote Slovenia in India where the population totals one billion and the spiritual leaders are more respected than the politicians.

My third visit was to China. I attended a big international conference in Boao at the special invitation of the Chinese authorities that attached special significance to my participation. At the conference I addressed the representatives of the biggest Asian, American and European corporations about the importance of sustainable development and their responsibility for it. I also gave a one-hour interview to the biggest Chinese broadcaster with an audience of several hundred million spectators. Slovenia has never before been presented in this way in China.

Because of these visits that were not known and planned beforehand, I exceeded the budgetary funds earmarked for this year. Since the Government did not approve my request for additional funds in time, I was forced to cancel the remaining international visits for this year.

Due to years of my friendship with Spain and the royal couple, I especially regret that I am unable to visit this country. Spain wished to attach special significance to my visit and hence arranged it at the highest protocol level. The Spanish side accepted this cancellation with understanding, although it is clear that this is an extremely unusual development in a democratic world. No other president would be denied the funding of such a visit."