HALF A CENTURY OF THE 1974 CONSTITUTION: between myths and the past
Радојевић, Мијодраг, Петар Матић, Владан Станковић (прир.). 2025. Пола века Устава Социјалистичке Федеративне Републике Југославије из 1974. : између митова и прошлости. Београд: Институт за политичке студије. ISBN 978-86-7419-418-8
The thematic collection of papers “Half a Century of the 1974 Constitution of the SFRY – Between Myths and the Past” was created as a result of the International Scientific Conference of the same name held on 25 and 26 September 2024 at the Institute for Political Studies in Belgrade. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the SFRY, one of the most controversial and complex constitutional and legal documents in the history of Yugoslav statehood, experts from various social fields – law, sociology, political science and history – gathered with the aim of providing contemporary interpretations and answers to questions that still cause controversy today.
The collection contains more than twenty scientific papers, arranged in four thematic units. The first part explores the political and historical context of the creation of the 1974 Constitution, the 1971 amendments, and the constitutional reforms that preceded it. In this part, the authors analyze internal crises, divisions within the party leadership, and the reactions of the expert public. The issue of statehood of the republics and the specific “constitutional language” in which the document was formulated are particularly emphasized. The second part focuses on the character of the Yugoslav federation and the right of peoples to self-determination. It raises key dilemmas about whether Yugoslavia was a federation, confederation, or a hybrid model. Researchers also address the question of whether the 1974 Constitution was a cause or a symptom of the collapse of the SFRY, and how its institutional architecture influenced the disintegration of the state. The third thematic unit deals with the position of the individual, institutions, and the organization of power. The topics covered are human rights, the position of the Federal Constitutional Court, the relationship between the executive and legislative branches, and the reform of the security system. Particular attention is drawn to the analyses of the possibilities of the constitutional court in a one-party system and the limits of the rule of law in a socialist context. The fourth part provides comparisons with other communist and socialist constitutions, as well as analyses of the impact of the constitution on republican relations, especially in Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. It is pointed out how the constitutional reforms affected internal discontent, but also stimulated processes that would later lead to the independence of individual republics.
