Acclaimed Slovenian novelist Drago Jančar said Pahor was a happy man because he has survived a century of ideology and totalitarianism as a defiant man. A dedicated patriot and a living witness to Fascist violence against Slovenians in Italy, Pahor claims that national awareness was vital to the survival of Slovenians. A ceremony at the Ljubljana opera house will mark his birthday tonight. Pahor became an honorary citizens of his native Trieste on Friday.