Page 154 - Mellinato, Giulio, and Aleksander Panjek. Eds. 2022. Complex Gateways. Labour and Urban History of Maritime Port Cities: The Northern Adriaticin a Comparative Perspective. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 154
plex Gateways
economic reforms in the 1965-1970 period in Slovenia, the works of Jože
Prinčič are essential. This author examines the historical roots of the pro-
cess and the reasons for the failure of the reforms. In his studies, he ex-
plains the role of directors in socialist enterprises and by doing so brings
to light the triangular power relations between management, workers,
and the Party (Prinčič 1999; 2005; 2008a; 2008b).
The reform of 1965: Stane Kavčič in Koper
In December 1965, Koper hosted a special meeting. Between July and
September, the Yugoslav Federal Assembly passed 29 legal regulations on
economic reform (Prinčič 2005, 1046). This was certainly not the first re-
form in the history of socialist Slovenia and Yugoslavia and by no means
would it be the last, but this particular round had a unique character. In
essence, the reform marked an attempt to approach a market economy
to the greatest possible degree while at the same time maintaining the
fundamentals of socialism: social ownership of the means of production,
continued development of workers’ self-management of companies, and
the leading role of the LCS. It was a risky business in every respect. It was
easy enough to criticize the classical (Stalinist) Soviet planned economy
model in Yugoslavia at the time, but creating something new and bet-
ter was another story. It was the Soviet model that the Slovene/Yugoslav
communists had at least partly applied immediately after the war, and it
had brought relative economic recovery to the devastated country and se-
cured political power for the Party.
Many meetings and consultations were held in Koper beginning in
the spring of 1965, with the aim of implementing the necessary steps in
economic and political terms. By the end of the year many questions still
remained unanswered, and reluctance in the face of the reforms appeared
to be persistent. At the meetings of sociopolitical organizations such as
the League of Communists, trade unions, the Youth Organization, work-
ers’ councils, etc., virtually everyone came out in favour of the reform.
However, in June the Central Committee (CC) of the LCS was informed
of public opinion in Koper regarding the coming changes. Certain ‘indi-
viduals’ were apparently spreading negative attitudes and concerns about
the future. Layoffs were foreseen at companies, but unlike in the capital-
ist West, the local trade union would not stand up for its workers. On the
like to thank Dr. Jurij Hadalin for providing me the copy of the elaboration in
question.
154
economic reforms in the 1965-1970 period in Slovenia, the works of Jože
Prinčič are essential. This author examines the historical roots of the pro-
cess and the reasons for the failure of the reforms. In his studies, he ex-
plains the role of directors in socialist enterprises and by doing so brings
to light the triangular power relations between management, workers,
and the Party (Prinčič 1999; 2005; 2008a; 2008b).
The reform of 1965: Stane Kavčič in Koper
In December 1965, Koper hosted a special meeting. Between July and
September, the Yugoslav Federal Assembly passed 29 legal regulations on
economic reform (Prinčič 2005, 1046). This was certainly not the first re-
form in the history of socialist Slovenia and Yugoslavia and by no means
would it be the last, but this particular round had a unique character. In
essence, the reform marked an attempt to approach a market economy
to the greatest possible degree while at the same time maintaining the
fundamentals of socialism: social ownership of the means of production,
continued development of workers’ self-management of companies, and
the leading role of the LCS. It was a risky business in every respect. It was
easy enough to criticize the classical (Stalinist) Soviet planned economy
model in Yugoslavia at the time, but creating something new and bet-
ter was another story. It was the Soviet model that the Slovene/Yugoslav
communists had at least partly applied immediately after the war, and it
had brought relative economic recovery to the devastated country and se-
cured political power for the Party.
Many meetings and consultations were held in Koper beginning in
the spring of 1965, with the aim of implementing the necessary steps in
economic and political terms. By the end of the year many questions still
remained unanswered, and reluctance in the face of the reforms appeared
to be persistent. At the meetings of sociopolitical organizations such as
the League of Communists, trade unions, the Youth Organization, work-
ers’ councils, etc., virtually everyone came out in favour of the reform.
However, in June the Central Committee (CC) of the LCS was informed
of public opinion in Koper regarding the coming changes. Certain ‘indi-
viduals’ were apparently spreading negative attitudes and concerns about
the future. Layoffs were foreseen at companies, but unlike in the capital-
ist West, the local trade union would not stand up for its workers. On the
like to thank Dr. Jurij Hadalin for providing me the copy of the elaboration in
question.
154
