Branko Mikulić

Branko Mikulić (10 June 1928 – 12 April 1994) was a Yugoslavian statesman. Mikulić was one of the leading communist politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the communist rule in the former Yugoslavia.

Branko Mikulić
26th President of the Federal Executive Council
In office 15 May 1986 – 16 March 1989
President	Sinan Hasani Lazar Mojsov Raif Dizdarević
Preceded by	Milka Planinc
Succeeded by	Ante Marković
2nd Member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia for SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 15 May 1984 – 15 May 1986
Preceded by	Cvijetin Mijatović
Succeeded by	Hamdija Pozderac
3rd President of the Presidency of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 26 April 1982 – 26 April 1983
Prime Minister	Seid Maglajlija
Preceded by	Raif Dizdarević
Succeeded by	Milanko Renovica
6th President of the Executive Council of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 1967–1969
Preceded by	Rudi Kolak
Succeeded by	Dragutin Kosovac
Personal details
Born	10 June 1928 Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Died	12 April 1994 (aged 65) Sarajevo, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Political party	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
Profession	Politician, soldier

Biography

Branko Mikulić was born to a Herzegovinian Croat family in 1928 in the vicinity of Gornji Vakuf, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. His father was a prosperous farmer and a leading local member of the Croatian Peasant Party, who during World War II became a deputy on the State Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ZAVNOBiH).[1] Mikulić finished gymnasium in Bugojno and joined the Yugoslav Partisans in 1943. After the war he attended the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Economy.

Political activity

As a young and ambitious party leader, after studying in Zagreb he returned to his birthplace to become a full-time politician. He became a deputy for Bugojno, a deputy for the West Bosnian district, and in 1965 secretary of the Bosnian Communist party's central committee - before being elected its president a year later.

Mikulić and his team proceeded to build a system of social and national equality on the ZAVNOBiH model, by way of full emancipation of the Bosniak nation and reintegration of the Bosnian Croats into the political system. Meanwhile, western Herzegovina enjoyed economic regeneration during the Mikulić's rule.

While working within the communist system, politicians that included Branko Mikulić but also Džemal Bijedić and Hamdija Pozderac reinforced and protected the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and were considered as the backbone of the political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina during much of the 1970s and '80s. Their efforts proved key during the turbulent period following Tito's death in 1980, and are today considered some of the early steps towards Bosnian independence.

President of the Federal Executive Council

Branko Mikulić was nominated by the Yugoslav presidency as successor to Milka Planinc in January 1986.[2] In Ljubljana, Slovenian sociologist Tomaž Mastnak criticized Mikulić's nomination over the radio. The government subsequently laid charges against Mastnak.[3] On 15 May 1986 Mikulić was appointed President of the Federal Executive Council of Yugoslavia.

One of the chambers inside the Palace of the Federation, seat of the Federal Executive Council of SFR Yugoslavia

In March 1987, Mikulić was publicly rebuked for his economic policy by striking workers who refused to serve him while in Kranjska Gora for a ski-jump competition.[4] After the outbreak of 70 strikes nationally in a two-week period (with strikes being illegal in Yugoslavia), Mikulić threatened to mobilize the army to restore order in May 1987.[5] Mikulić's government devalued the dinar by 25% on 17 November 1987.[6] Mikulić reached a Standby Agreement with the International Monetary Fund in 1988.[7] SR Croatia and SR Slovenia attempted to launch a no-confidence motion against Mikulić in May 1988, but this proved unsuccessful.[8] In June 1988, several thousand people protested in front of the Federal Assembly calling for Mikulić's resignation.[9] After a no-confidence vote in the Federal Assembly, Mikulić resigned his post on 30 December 1988 and returned to Sarajevo. With this, Mikulić's government became the first and only to resign in the history of communist Yugoslavia. Mikulić left office with Yugoslavia in 21 billion USD of debt to Western countries.[10] He was replaced by Ante Marković on 16 March 1989.He received the last rites shortly before his death. Mikulić died quietly in April 1994 during the Siege of Sarajevo. He was buried in the Catholic cemetery Sv. Josip in Sarajevo.[11][12]

References

Notes

1. Lasić & 13 May 2015.
2. AROUND THE WORLD; Yugoslav Panel Proposes Croat as Prime Minister
3. Violations of the Helsinki accords, Yugoslavia: a report prepared for the Helsinki Review Conference, Vienna, November 1986. Human Rights Watch, 1986 (p. 20).
4. Workers Joke, but Yugoslavian Economy Isn't Funny
5. YUGOSLAVIA VOWS FIGHT OVER UNREST
6. Yugoslav Devaluation, The New York Times
7. Bartlett, William. Europe's troubled region: economic development, institutional reform and social welfare in the Western Balkans. Routledge, 2008 (p. 14).
8. Mikulic survives call for no-confidence vote
9. Ramet, Sabrina P., Social currents in Eastern Europe: the sources and consequences of the great transformation. Duke University Press, 1995 (p. 38).
10. Yugoslavian Prime Minister Mikulic and Cabinet resign
11. "Onaj bez kojeg ne bi bilo tako kako je bilo". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
12. Groblje „SV. JOSIP“ Archived August 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

Columns

• Lasić, Mile (13 May 2015). "O Mikuliću: BiH može ozdraviti". Autograf.hr. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

External links

• Branko Mikulic - socialist emperor manqué
• Nesuđeni socijalistički car