Youth Association of Slovenia 1964-1967, president of the Association 1968-1969, member of the secretariat of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Slovenia 1969 - 1973, secretary of the Socialist Alliance of Slovenia 1973-1978, President of the Assembly of Slovenia 1978-1982, representative of the Republic of Slovenia in the Presidency of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia 1982-1986, President of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Slovenia 1986-1989. In those years he was a member of numerous bodies and institutions, including the Constitutional Commission of the Assembly of former Yugoslavia, head of the working group dealing with the relationship between the two autonomous provinces (Vojvodina and Kosovo Metohija), Serbia and the Federation. In the first direct multi-party elections after 1945 he was elected and served as President of the Presidency of the Republic of Slovenia 1990-1992, President of the Republic of Slovenia 1992-1997, and President of the Republic of Slovenia again from 1997-2002.

Encyclopaedia

Characteristic of M. Kucan's political activities are his analytical capabilities and level-headed political views. These were particularly appreciated when he became the leader of the LCS which, at that time, was still one of the key factors of social impact. At a time of growing social crisis and the gradual establishment of political pluralism in the late eighties, Milan Kucan strongly influenced the transformation and adjustment of the LCS to democratic trends. He also championed such endeavours of the LCS at the level of the Communist League of Yugoslavia. When they were rejected at the extraordinary 14th LCY Congress, Milan Kucan supported the complete withdrawal of the LCS from the LCY. By assuming the role of reformer in the LCS - and with its transformation into the Party of Democratic Renewal - and by championing parliamentary democracy, political pluralism, national sovereignty and everything which is the hallmark of a civil and environmentally conscious society, Milan Kucan became one of the major personalities of Slovene democratic and political emancipation. He was active in seeking solutions to the Yugoslav crisis and a democratic rearrangement of the country into a community of sovereign states; when this was no longer possible, he supported the separation of Slovenia from Yugoslavia by agreement. He remained loyal to his views when the disintegrating SFRY attacked Slovenia after Slovenia had declared independence on 26 June 1991, and was later active in Slovenia's endeavours for international recognition.

/Encyclopaedia of Slovenia, Volume 6, Published by Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, 1992/