The status of Kosova debated: the 1967–1974 internal constitutional and political debates in Kosova

Abstract

The 1968-74 period is a very important time in the history of the former Yugoslavia. In addition to ground-breaking political, social, economic and cultural changes, legal, ethnic and constitutional changes were at the forefront of developments in the federation. This thesis examines the currents of political debate among intellectuals, workers, party activists and politicians in Kosova, an autonomous province of Yugoslavia, prior and during this period. It is important to consider such debates, which in many instances penetrated deep into the ideology and political thought of the system and the party, sometimes even questioning the existing system. Only by considering such developments can one understand why Yugoslavia was perceived as the most liberal society amongst the countries of the communist block, and why such intense debate was allowed in Kosova, a small and not especially important unit of the federation. This thesis emphasises the role of these debates in the internal and external political perception of Kosova and the Albanian population regarding their constitutional place in the body politic of Yugoslavia; it also explores the impact of these debates on the constitutional change that marked this period. Using interviews, original archive material of new states that emerged from Yugoslavia, documents and other primary sources, this thesis suggests that Yugoslav communism, despite its internal problems, fostered a relatively free society. Based on the authoritarian regime of Tito, its sole and powerful leader, Yugoslav communism underwent changes in response to an ideological rift with the Soviet Union and a loose association with the Western world, which viewed Yugoslavia as a potential ally against the challenge from the formidable Eastern Block. The thesis also suggests that political changes from the 1968-74 period, although not satisfying everyone and especially ethnic-based political demands, worked as a temporary measure that unlocked further political potential. However, it is argued that such changes could have not worked in the long term in view of the substantial number of problems that the communist state never truly resolved.