Slovenia Independence Leader Dies

Slovenia's former president Janez Drnovšek, who helped lead Slovenia to independence and EU membership, has died at the age of 58. As many people and politicians around the world say, he was a man of great deeds, great politician and European.

No cause of death was given, but the sources say he died at his home. He had a cancerous kidney removed in 1999. The disease later came back and spread to his lungs.

The illness drastically changed his life. "It is hard for me to say if the change was only caused by the illness," he told the Associated Press last year. "It is true that the illness acts as a shock - it awakens one." He was now a bigger optimist, thinking about valuableness and the essence of life. He became a vegetarian and championed protection of the environment, animal rights, the rights of oppressed people. Drnovšek wrote three books on spirituality which became best-sellers in Slovenia and were translated into several languages.

In 1991 Yugoslav army waged a conflict in Slovenia trying to prevent it from seceding. Drnovšek helped with a crucial deal with the Yugoslav leadership to withdraw its army from Slovenia. The deal ended a 10-day war and confirmed Slovenia's independence.

He was prime minister from 1992 until 2002. In 2002, he was elected president of Slovenia. He didn't seek reelection last year in December because of his poor health.

A date for the funeral date had not been set, but it will be next week. He will not be buried with military honours - he wanted not to. The burial will be attended by family only in his hometown Zagorje.

The Slovenian government declared Monday a day of mourning.