Peter Jambrek
Encyclopedia
Peter Jambrek is a Slovenia
n sociologist, jurist
, politician
and intellectual. He is considered among the fathers of the current Slovenian Constitution
and among the most influential public intellectuals in Slovenia.
He was born in Ljubljana
, then part of Yugoslavia
, and attended high school in Maribor
and in Ljubljana. He studied law at the University of Ljubljana
, graduating in 1962. In his student years, he was active in student organizations and was among the editors of the student journal Tribuna
. He obtained his MA in sociology in 1966, and joined the Communist Party of Slovenia the same year. Between 1968 and 1971, he studied sociology at the University of Chicago
, obtaining his PhD in 1971.
In the early 1970s, Jambrek was close to the reformist wing of the Slovenian Communist Party, led by Stane Kavčič and Ernest Petrič. After the authoritarian turn in the Yugoslav Communist Party in 1972-73, which also affected Slovenia, Jambrek withdrew to purely academic work. He obtained professorship at the Faculty of Law and at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana. He studied conflict theory
and published a sociological study on rituals and rebellions. Between 1973 and 1975, he taught at the University of Zambia
in Lusaka
. In 1975, he published a comparative study on the transformation of tribal societies into nation states. Between 1975 and 1982, he published several books analyzing the structure of political decisions in Yugoslav local government.
In the 1980s, Jambrek started collaborating with dissident intellectuals around the journal Nova revija
. He rose to prominence in 1987, when he published a thorough legal study on the possibilities of Slovenia
n secession from Yugoslavia
in the collective volume Contributions for a Slovenian National Program.
In 1989, he left the Communist Party and became a founding member of the Slovenian Democratic Union
, one of the first democratic non-Communist parties organized during the Slovenian Spring, 1988-1990. After the victory of the anti-Communist DEMOS coalition in the first Slovenian free elections in spring 1990, he was appointed member of the Slovenian Constitutional Court. In the years 1990-1991, he became one of the foremost members of the Constitutional Committee that wrote the new Slovenian Constitution.
In 1993, he was appointed member of the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg
. Between June and November 2000, he served as Minister of the Interior in the short-lived centre right government of Andrej Bajuk
. In 2004, he was among the co-founders of the liberal conservative platform Rally for the Republic, and served as its chairman until 2008.
Peter Jambrek was the editor to the European Public Hearing on "Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes" organised by Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
(January–June 2008) and the European Commission
.
He has been known to be supportive of the Slovenian Democratic Party
, although he isn't a member of the party. In October 2011, he voiced his sympathy for the newly established liberal centrist Gregor Virant's Civic List
.
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 sociologist, 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 intellectual. He is considered among the fathers of the current Slovenian Constitution
Constitution of Slovenia
The Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia was adopted by the Slovenian National Assembly on December 23, 1991. The document is divided into ten chapters:# General Provisions# Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms# Economic and Social Relations...
and among the most influential public intellectuals in Slovenia.
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 Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and attended high school in Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
and in Ljubljana. 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:...
, graduating in 1962. In his student years, he was active in student organizations and was among the editors of the student journal Tribuna
Tribuna
Tribuna is a weekly Russian newspaper that focuses largely on industry and the energy sector, published from 1969. Until 1990, the newspaper titled the Sotsialisticheskaya Industriya, then it was renamed into the Rabochaya Tribuna. Since April 1998 for newspaper fixed the current title.Since 2000s...
. He obtained his MA in sociology in 1966, and joined the Communist Party of Slovenia the same year. Between 1968 and 1971, he studied sociology at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, obtaining his PhD in 1971.
In the early 1970s, Jambrek was close to the reformist wing of the Slovenian Communist Party, led by Stane Kavčič and Ernest Petrič. After the authoritarian turn in the Yugoslav Communist Party in 1972-73, which also affected Slovenia, Jambrek withdrew to purely academic work. He obtained professorship at the Faculty of Law and at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana. He studied conflict theory
Conflict theory
Conflict theories are perspectives in social science that emphasize the social, political or material inequality of a social group, that critique the broad socio-political system, or that otherwise detract from structural functionalism and ideological conservativism...
and published a sociological study on rituals and rebellions. Between 1973 and 1975, he taught at the University of Zambia
University of Zambia
The University of Zambia is Zambia's largest university, founded in 1966. It has a student population of about 10,000.-Academics:The University of Zambia is divided into the following faculties:*School of Agricultural Sciences *School of Engineering...
in Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
. In 1975, he published a comparative study on the transformation of tribal societies into nation states. Between 1975 and 1982, he published several books analyzing the structure of political decisions in Yugoslav local government.
In the 1980s, Jambrek started collaborating with dissident intellectuals around the journal Nova revija
Nova revija
Nova revija is a Slovenian publishing house and cultural institute that developed from the literary journal with the same name.- The magazine :...
. He rose to prominence in 1987, when he published a thorough legal study on the possibilities of Slovenia
Socialist Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until 1990...
n secession from Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
in the collective volume Contributions for a Slovenian National Program.
In 1989, he left the Communist Party and became a founding member of the Slovenian Democratic Union
Slovenian Democratic Union
The Slovenian Democratic Union was a Slovenian liberal political party, active between 1989 and 1991, during the democratization and the secession of the Republic of Slovenia from Yugoslavia....
, one of the first democratic non-Communist parties organized during the Slovenian Spring, 1988-1990. After the victory of the anti-Communist DEMOS coalition in the first Slovenian free elections in spring 1990, he was appointed member of the Slovenian Constitutional Court. In the years 1990-1991, he became one of the foremost members of the Constitutional Committee that wrote the new Slovenian Constitution.
In 1993, he was appointed member of the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. Between June and November 2000, he served as Minister of the Interior in the short-lived centre right government of Andrej Bajuk
Andrej Bajuk
Andrej Bajuk, also known in Spanish as Andrés Bajuk was a Slovene politician and economist. He served shortly as Prime Minister of Slovenia in the year 2000, and Minister of Economy in the centre right government of Janez Janša between 2004 and 2008...
. In 2004, he was among the co-founders of the liberal conservative platform Rally for the Republic, and served as its chairman until 2008.
Peter Jambrek was the editor to the European Public Hearing on "Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes" organised by Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(January–June 2008) and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
He has been known to be supportive of the Slovenian Democratic Party
Slovenian Democratic Party
The Slovenian Democratic Party , known until 2003 as the Social Democratic Party of Slovenia is a Slovenian centre-right liberal conservative and Christian democratic party...
, although he isn't a member of the party. In October 2011, he voiced his sympathy for the newly established liberal centrist Gregor Virant's Civic List
Gregor Virant's Civic List
Gregor Virant's Civic List is a classical liberal political party in Slovenia, led by Gregor Virant.Virant, former Minister of Public Administration in Janez Janša's government between 2004–2008 and chairman of the civil platform Rally for the Republic announced on 10 October 2011, that he would...
.