Ciril Ribičič
Encyclopedia
Ciril Ribičič is a Slovenia
n jurist
, politician
and author
. Since 2000, he has served as member of the Constitutional Court of Slovenia
.
He was born in Ljubljana
, then part of the People's Republic of Slovenia in former Yugoslavia
. His father was Mitja Ribičič
, one of the most inflential officials of the Yugoslav Secret Police
in Slovenia. He studied law at the University of Ljubljana
. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he published several treatises in the field of constitutional law in the condition of Yugoslav self-management socialism.
In the late 1980s, he emerged as one of the foremost members of the reformist leadership in the League of Communists of Slovenia
, together with Milan Kučan
. He rose to prominence as the chairman of the Slovene delegation at the 14th Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
, held in Belgrade
in January 1990. The congress ended in the dissolution of the Yugoslav Communist Party, after the Slovene delegation decided to withdraw in protest against the domination of Serbian Communists
who had embraced Serbian nationalism
.
In 1990, the League of Communists of Slovenia introduced democratic reforms and renamed itself to Party of Democratic Renewal . Ribičič was elected as its first president. In April 1990, the party lost the elections to the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia
, and Ribičič became one of the two main leaders of the Slovenian left wing opposition. He was re-elected to the Slovenian National Assembly in 1992, and was one of the architects of the so-called grand coalition
, formed by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Slovene Christian Democrats
, the Social Democratic Party of Slovenia and his own Party of Democratic Reforms. Although this coalition, led by the Liberal Democrat Janez Drnovšek
, gradually disintegrated between 1994 and 1996, it prevented the political isolation of the former Communists and ensured their return to power.
In 1993, Ribičič stepped down from the leadership of the party. He withdrew completely from politics by 1996, dedicating himself to academic activity within the University of Ljubljana. In 2000, he was appointed member of the Constitutional Court of Slovenia
.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Since 2000, he has served as member of the Constitutional Court of Slovenia
Constitutional Court of Slovenia
The Constitutional Court of Slovenia is a special court established by the Slovenian Constitution. Since its inception, the Court has been located in the city of Ljubljana.-Jurisdiction:...
.
He was born in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, then part of the People's Republic of Slovenia in former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
. His father was Mitja Ribičič
Mitja Ribičič
Mitja Ribičič is a former Slovenian Communist official and Yugoslav politician. He was the only Slovenian prime minister of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, one of the most inflential officials of the Yugoslav Secret Police
UDBA
The Department of State Security was the secret police organization of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.Although it operated with more restraint than other secret...
in Slovenia. He studied law at the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he published several treatises in the field of constitutional law in the condition of Yugoslav self-management socialism.
In the late 1980s, he emerged as one of the foremost members of the reformist leadership in the League of Communists of Slovenia
League of Communists of Slovenia
The League of Communists of Slovenia was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1989...
, together with Milan Kučan
Milan Kucan
Milan Kučan is a Slovenian politician and statesman. He was the first President of Slovenia.-Early life and political beginnings:...
. He rose to prominence as the chairman of the Slovene delegation at the 14th Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
, held in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
in January 1990. The congress ended in the dissolution of the Yugoslav Communist Party, after the Slovene delegation decided to withdraw in protest against the domination of Serbian Communists
League of Communists of Serbia
The League of Communists of Serbia was the Serbian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990. Under a new constitution ratified in 1974, greater power was devolved to the various republic level branches. In the late 1980s, the party was...
who had embraced Serbian nationalism
Serbian nationalism
Serbian nationalism refers to the ethnic nationalism of Serbs. Originally arising in the context of the general rise of nationalism in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, under the influence of Serbian linguist Vuk Stefanović Karadžić and Ilija Garašanin....
.
In 1990, the League of Communists of Slovenia introduced democratic reforms and renamed itself to Party of Democratic Renewal . Ribičič was elected as its first president. In April 1990, the party lost the elections to the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia
Democratic Opposition of Slovenia
Democratic Opposition of Slovenia, also known as the DEMOS coalition was a coalition of democratic political parties, created by an agreement between the Slovenian Democratic Union, the Social Democrat Alliance of Slovenia, the Slovene Christian Democrats, the Farmers' Alliance and the Greens of...
, and Ribičič became one of the two main leaders of the Slovenian left wing opposition. He was re-elected to the Slovenian National Assembly in 1992, and was one of the architects of the so-called grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
, formed by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Slovene Christian Democrats
Slovene Christian Democrats
The Slovene Christian Democrats was a Christian Democrat political party in Slovenia between 1989 and 2000.It was founded as the Slovene Christian Social Movement in March of 1989. Its first president was Peter Kovačič Peršin...
, the Social Democratic Party of Slovenia and his own Party of Democratic Reforms. Although this coalition, led by the Liberal Democrat Janez Drnovšek
Janez Drnovšek
Janez Drnovšek was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia , Prime Minister of Slovenia and President of Slovenia . He was born in Celje, Slovenia, then the Socialist Republic of Slovenia...
, gradually disintegrated between 1994 and 1996, it prevented the political isolation of the former Communists and ensured their return to power.
In 1993, Ribičič stepped down from the leadership of the party. He withdrew completely from politics by 1996, dedicating himself to academic activity within the University of Ljubljana. In 2000, he was appointed member of the Constitutional Court of Slovenia
Constitutional Court of Slovenia
The Constitutional Court of Slovenia is a special court established by the Slovenian Constitution. Since its inception, the Court has been located in the city of Ljubljana.-Jurisdiction:...
.