Between Socialism and Yugoslavia: Polemical Review of the Biography of Stipe Šuvar

The article presents a critical review of a political biography of Stipe Šuvar, a Yugoslav communist and a prominent figure on the left wing of post-socialist Croatia, published by Central Europe (Srednja Evropa) in Zagreb in 2024. The book offers the first comprehensive account of Šuvar’s political and personal trajectory, emphasizing his key role both in the development of Yugoslav socialism and in its dissolution. Given Šuvar’s well-established reputation as a defender of socialism and the Yugoslav federation, the author of the biography seeks to construct a coherent portrayal of his legacy, countering simplified and often critical depictions with a more sympathetic perspective. In contrast to the dominant post-socialist critiques framed through national perspectives, this review questions the default assumption of Šuvar’s ideological consistency, highlighting the fact that his views were also tested by the circumstances and his actions do not always appear to align with the goals of preserving the party and the unity of the state. Despite the detailed and original presentation of ideological and political contradictions within different segments of Yugoslav society, there is a noticeable lack of reflection on the transformation of Šuvar’s own views. The failure or unwillingness of pro-socialist Yugoslav actors to forge a stable inter-republican coalition ultimately had profound consequences for the federation.

Stipe Šuvar, League of Communists of Yugoslavia, SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), political biography, Yugoslav crisis, Slobodan Milošević, Titoism