The Ideological Transformation of Milan Kučan in 1986-1988: Views on Socialism and the Coexistence of Nations in Yugoslavia

Abstract

This study examines Milan Kučan's ideological transformation from 1986 to 1988 by making use of his addresses to the Slovenian communist leadership. At the beginning of that period, Kučan advocated for maintaining the vanguard role of the communists, albeit with a democratising accent. He also accepted the transfer of certain powers to the federation in order to increase its efficiency. By contrast, during the course of 1987 Kučan absorbed the radicalised autonomist stances that had become widespread among the Slovenian public in those months. Connected to that, Kučan observed that the communists were losing control over society and feared acquiring the stigma of a national traitor. Still, he continued to defend self-management socialism, believing that it gave the communists an advantage over the opposition in public opinion. Kučan's political identity lost ground during 1988, when the Yugoslav communists initiated radical economic reforms. Kučan adapted to this development by gradually becoming Slovenia's non-ideological national leader.