Original scientific paper
POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REFORMING SELF-MANAGING SOCIALISM – FROM EUROPEANISATION TO BALKANISATION OF PRESENT-DAY EU
Bogomir Kovač
; Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
In the 1960s, the golden age of development in Europe came to an end, the
socialist economies failed to adapt to the new situation and began to reform
their economic system. The Yugoslav federal leadership announced economic
reforms in 1961 and 1965, considered to be the best programme of economic
reform and modernization during the institutional development of the Second
socialist Yugoslavia. The self management system was based on the premises
that the state control of the economy and planning should be replaced by contractual
bargains among socially-owned enterprises, indicative planning and
market mechanism. Kraigher’s reform (1965) strengthened the developmental
principles and the position of industry as the leading economic activity on
the one hand and stabilisation programme on the other. However, the stabilisation
policy failed to live up to expectations, and its restrictive measures
created new imbalances. Kraigher’s reform deepened the economic volatility,
economic growth declined, while inflation and foreign debt swelled rapidly.
The federal government made no particular efforts to remedy the situation and
resolve the problems. In the late 1960s, the Yugoslav economic miracle came
to an end. The communist authorities were preparing the grounds for constitutional
ammendments, and enforced the adoption where federal communist
leadership disciplined the proponents of economic reform and liberal market
policies. The socialist economies, like modern EU states (Great Recession
2008-2013), failed to respond to the crisis immediately and with resolute action.
This was a key reason for the disintegration of the Second Yugoslavia
and could be the new form of balkanisation of EU.
Keywords
self management system; Yugoslav socialism; socialist economic reforms; Kraigher’s economic reform; balkanisation of EU
Hrčak ID:
89182
URI
Publication date:
4.10.2012.
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