Political systems in South-Eastern Europe POL 268 Věra Stýskalíková

1. The Socialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaThe emergence and the development of the federal state of Southern Slavs Political systems in South-Eastern Europe POL 268 Věra Stýskalíková

2. Important data 395 – Roman Empire divided into Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) 1054 – Great Schism between Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian Churches End of 14th century – expansion of the Turks in the Balkans

3. Genesis of the state of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes – adoption of the Corfu Declaration – 20th July 1917 Political representation declared, that all three nations come de facto from one nation of one blood, which shall be united after the WWI

4. However, the politics were not united – One group saw the new state as a state of three nations under the Serbian dynasty Karadjordjević 2nd group represented by the Serbian emigration in London saw the emerging state as creation of Great Serbia

5. The clashes culminated in declaration of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (only those under former Austro-Hungarian empire = without Serbia proper 29th October 1918 Federation was supposed to include: Slovenia and Istria Croatia, Slavonia and Vojvodina Bosnia and Hercegovina with Dalmatia

6. However, the new state was under pressure of Austrian and Italian troops and desperately needed the Serbian aid Therefore the federation asked Serbia to be included in the Serbian kingdom (Serbia+Monte Negro) = the victory of the idea of Great Serbia, the new state shall be organized as unitary centralized state

7. Constitution formed highly centralized state formally governed by the monarch and the government in Beograde Constitution was adopted on 28th June 1921 (Vidovdan) 223 MP´s voted for the adoption of the constitution 35 against 161 absented (out of 419 MP´s)

8. Kingdom was designed as hereditary monarchylegislative power shall be divided between the monarch and the parliament Parliament adopted laws, which were validated and declared by the monarch The monarch could dissolve the parliament any time

9. The monarch was not responsible for his decisions – the ministers took the responsibility for the decisions Right to vote – men over 21 Right to be elected – men over 30, the candidate shall be able to read and write in the national language. The mandate lasted 4 years.

10. The national clashes accompanied with the economical crises meant permanent crises, which could have ended up in the civil war The monarch reacted with the declaration of dictatorship – 6th January 1929 dissolved the parliament and revoked the constitution

11. The new imposed constitution was declared 3th September 1931 The constitution gave the monarch even more powers than the Vidovdan Constitution The state was renamed – Kingdom of Yugoslavia

12. The Yugoslavia was destroyed in 1941 Yugoslavia was divided between Germany, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria. On the territory of Croatia and in part of BaH was declared puppet fascist state

13. Division of Yugoslavia in the WWII: • Serbia – under the rule of German general who appointed the general Milan Nedić president of Serbian administration • Kosovo incorporated into Italian-occupied Albania • Monte Negro given to Italy • Baranja and Bačka regions of north-western Serbia went to Hungary • Macedonia divided between Bulgaria and Italy-Albania • Slovenia partitioned between Germany and Italy • Croatia became the Independent State of Croatia, included part of BaH led by extreme-rightist Ante Pavelić

15. The main actor of the Yugoslav partisan resistance was the AVNOJ – Antifascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia Emerged in November 1942 Led by Josip Broz Tito AVNOJ supposedly recognised the existence of the Montenegrin and Macedonian nation

16. 11th November 1945 - elections The People´s Front obtained more than 90 % of the votes The elections were manipulated

17. The new Constitution was declared 31th January 1946The constitution was drafted after the soviet one on the principles of the democratic centralism The decisions were up to the Politburo of the Communist party of Yugoslavia – there were the ultimate holders of power. Politburo= Tito, Kardelj, Ranković, Djilas

19. Post-war Yugoslavia produced as many as four constitutions – in 1946, 1953, 1963 and 1974 1946 – copy of the Soviet Constitution of 1936 1953 – introduction of Workers´Self-government and local self-government 1963 – dispersed decision-making over a large number of self-governing units, The name of the state changed – Socialistic federative republic of Yugoslavia Amendment 8 of 1968 – Federal Chamber eliminated, Chamber of nationalities became reconstructed as Chamber of Delegates for the Republics and Autonomous provinces 1974 Constitution – „Tito Constitution“ - Delegated economic interventions from the central government to the republics The republics have the right to secede from the federation Political power decentralized among the communist parties in the 6 republics and 2 autonomous provinces at the expense of the federal communist party

20. The Parliament – elections in both chambers every 4 years The Chamber of Republics and Provinces (Council of nations – Svet narodov) : each republic represented with 30 MP´s, autonomous province with 20 MP´s, autonomous region with 15 MP´s. The Federal Chamber (Federal Council – Zvezni svet) : each MP´s represented 50 000 inhabitants; the number of MP´s was expected to grow with the increase of population

21. The formal head of state was the state presidency of the parliament : Overlapping of executive and legislative power The presidency was elected on the common plenary session of both chambers 2nd executive body was the Federal Executive Council

22. The soviet model lasted only 2 years (the split with the USSR) Transformation towards socialistic democracy State ownership replaced with the collective one (cooperative associations) Intergrowth of the economy into the politics – creation of the economical-political systém The institute of referendum introduced – element of direct democracy

23. The modifications of the institutional arrangement of the parliament were introduced 1st Chamber of nations (part elected in direct elections: 1 MP represented 60 inhabitants; part elected by the republics(10 from each), autonomous provinces (6 each); and autonomous regions (4 each) 2nd Chamber – Council of producers – elected directly, represented the industry, agriculture, crafts

24. State presidency was abolished and replaced with the institution of president The Federal Executive Council replaced with Council, which was formed from the elected MP´s

25. In 1963 and in 1968 there were another modifications of the legislative and executive bodies The whole system was getting more and more difficult

26. 1974 Constitution Right for nationality, use of mother language, yugoslav as well as republican citizenship Each republic had a right to cesede The state property was changed into social property

27. Executive body after 1974: Presidency and Federal Council Presidency – 9 members elected for 5 years term, each republic and autonomous province had one deputy plus the president of the Federation of Yugoslav communists, J.B. Tito was the president of the state, after his death collective body with one president elected for one year term. Presidency did not have any special rights or duties. Federal Council - was made up of the party officials, was executing the decisions of the parliament

28. Legislative body – 2 chambers Federal chamber, 220 MPs Board of republics (88 MPs) The parliament had according to the constitution broad and wide range of rights – in reality none- all decisions was made on the party level or solely by Tito.

29. 4.5.1980 Tito´s death Ethnic divisions and conflict grew, and eventually erupted into a series of Yugoslav wars a decade after his death and the end of his strong-rule that had kept a lid on ethnic tensions.

30. Questions: Why did federal systém fail? Right system/wrong place? Right system/wrong design? Federalism without democracy? Federalism is not a solution to the national question? Too decentralized?? Failure of socialism??

31. Categories that influence the prosperity and stability of that state: The geographical position The region and the history The political system The population and ethnic structure The language, religion and culture The symbols of the state The size and density of population The urban versus rural percentage The wealth of the state The interaction and intermarriages