Ján Čarnogurský (born 1 January 1944) is a Slovak former politician, who served as the

prime minister of Slovakia The prime minister of Slovakia, officially the Chairman of the government of the Slovak Republic ( Slovak: ''Predseda vlády Slovenskej republiky''), commonly referred to in Slovakia as ''Predseda vlády'' or informally as ''Premiér'', is the ...

(1991–1992) and the former chairman of the

Christian Democratic Movement The Christian Democratic Movement ( sk, Kresťanskodemokratické hnutie, KDH) is a Christian democracy, Christian-democratic List of political parties in Slovakia, political party in Slovakia that is a member of the European People's Party (EPP ...

(1990–2000). Today he is chairman of Slovak-Russian association with headquarters in Bratislava. He is married and has four children.

Before 1989

He studied law at the

Charles University ) , image_name = Carolinum_Logo.svg , image_size = 200px , established = , type = Public, Ancient , budget = 8.9 billion CZK , rector = Milena Králíčková , faculty = 4,057 , administrative_staff = 4,026 , students = 51,438 , under ...

in Prague (graduation in 1969) and at the

Comenius University Comenius University in Bratislava ( sk, Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave) is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is name ...

in Bratislava (Doctor's degree in 1971). From 1970 to 1981, first he was active as a junior attorney-at-law, then as an attorney-at-law in Bratislava, and was member of a section of the Center of Czech and Slovak attorneys-at-law. In 1981, he was deprived of his attorney-at-law licence by the Communist authorities, because he had defended a person in a political process. However, he continued to provide legal advice to opposition ( Charta 77) and religious activists. Between 1982 and 1986 first he was active as a driver, then as a company lawyer. In 1987 he was fired and remained unemployed. He was an important figure in the secret church in Slovakia and, between 1987 and 1989, he published illegally the magazine ''Bratislavské listy'' (Bratislava Papers). He represented the Christian Democratic wing within the Anti-Communist opposition in Czechoslovakia.

1989–1992

Shortly before the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...

, on 14 August 1989, he was imprisoned and released only after the collapse of the Communist regime through a presidential amnesty on 25 November 1989. From December 1989 to April 1990 he was the first vice-prime minister, since April to June 1990 the vice-prime minister of Czechoslovakia. He was a co-founder and, since February 1990, the chairman of the

of Slovakia. Since the Christian Democratic Movement was Slovakia's second largest party after the

1990 Slovak parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Slovakia on 8 and 9 June 1990 alongside federal elections. They were the first elections after the Velvet Revolution, and the first free elections since 1946. The Public Against Violence (VPN) party emerged as ...

, Čarnogurský became the vice-prime minister of Slovakia and in June 1990. After the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia split from the

Public against Violence Public Against Violence ( sk, Verejnosť proti násiliu, VPN) was a political movement established in Bratislava, Slovakia in November 1989. It was the Slovak counterpart of the Czech Civic Forum. Velvet Revolution Public Against Violence (VPN) ...

, i.e. from the party that had won the 1990 elections, Čarnogurský took over the post of the prime minister of Slovakia in April 1991. During this period characterized by quarrels between Czechs and Slovaks concerning the future of their co-existence he became famous by his statement that in the future Slovakia should have its own "little uropeanstar" in Europe, which at the time of existence of Czechoslovakia was a shocking statement.

1992–2002

After the 1992 election he ceased to be prime minister and was a deputy to the

National Council of the Slovak Republic The National Council of the Slovak Republic ( sk, Národná rada Slovenskej republiky), abbreviated to ''NR SR'', is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral and consists of 150 members, who are elected by universal suffrage under ...

(Slovak parliament) as an opposition member and strong Mečiar opponent from 1992 to 1998. After the 1998 election he was the Minister of Justice of Slovakia from 1998 to 2002.

After 2002

In 2002, he retired from politics altogether and has been working as an attorney-at-law since.

Pavol Hrušovský Pavol Hrušovský (born 9 June 1952) was the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (the Slovak parliament) from 15 October 2002 to 7 February 2006 and party leader of the Christian Democratic Movement (2000–2009). Professiona ...

became the new chairman of the

after him.

Secondary functions

*February 1990 – August 1990: chairman of the Legislative Council of the Czechoslovak government *2–22 November 1990: temporary leader of the Ministry of the Interior of Slovakia *1990–1991: chairman of the Slovak government Council for Information Policy and Mass media and chairman of the Slovak government Council for Nationalities and Ethnic Groups *1993–1994: vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSCE *December 1994 – October 1998: member of the Permanent Delegation of the National Council of the Slovak Republic at the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSCE *1991–(?)1998: member of the Permanent Delegation of the National Council of the Slovak Republic at the Parliamentary Assembly of the

OSCE The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

*1997 – ? (1998?/2002?): vice-president of the

European Union of Christian Democrats The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian-democratic, conservative, and liberal-conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other political parties. Founded by primarily Ch ...

(EUCD) *2002 – Member of the Advisory Board of th
Global Panel Foundation
– a NGO which works behind the scenes in crisis areas around the world. Global Panel has offices and satellites in Berlin, Copenhagen, New York, Prague, Sydney and Toronto. Other Advisory Board Members include George Robertson (former NATO Secretary General and UK Defense Minister),

Barbara McDougall Barbara Jean McDougall (born November 12, 1937) is a former Canadian politician. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 1993, and as Secretary of State for External Affairs from 1991 to 1993. She did not run again in the 1993 Canadian ...

(Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Finance, Canada) and Stuart Eizenstat (former Deputy Treasury Secretary, Under-Secretary of State and Ambassador under President Bill Clinton) among others. He is Knight of Honor of the

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...

.Homepage of the St. Georgs Orden
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Works

* ''Trpeli za vieru'' (They suffered for the faith; 1991) * ''Videné od Dunaja'' (Seen from the Danube; 1997): his speeches and articles
The Fall of Communism in Czechoslovakia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carnogursky, Jan 1944 births Living people Foreign Ministers of Slovakia Politicians from Bratislava Christian Democratic Movement politicians Prime Ministers of Slovakia Czechoslovak prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of Czechoslovakia Candidates for President of Slovakia Members of the National Council (Slovakia) 1992-1994 Members of the National Council (Slovakia) 1994-1998