Leader see full list below Dissolved 4 February 1990 | Founded April 1937 | |
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Succeeded by Party of Democratic Renewal Headquarters Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia Ideology Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Titoism | ||
The League of Communists of Slovenia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Slovenije; Slovene: Zveza komunistov Slovenije, ZKS) was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1989. It was established in April 1937 as the Communist Party of Slovenia, as the first autonomous sub-national branch of the Yugoslav Communist Party.
Its initial autonomy was further amplified with the Yugoslav constitution of 1974, which devolved greater power to the various republic level branches.
In 1989 Slovenia passed amendments to its constitution that asserted its sovereignty over the federation and its right to secede. These amendments were bitterly opposed by the leadership of Serbia under Slobodan Milošević. On 23 January 1990, the Slovene delegation, headed by Milan Kučan, left the Party Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, leading to the collapse of the all-Yugoslav party.
On 4 February 1990 the League of Communists of Slovenia changed its name to the Party of Democratic Reform (Stranka demokratične prenove - SDP), and shortly afterwards began negotiations with the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia for the establishment of a multi-party system. In April 1990, the reformed Communists lost the elections to the DEMOS coalition. In 1992, they ceased to be the largest left wing party and entered a period of radical transformation, which gained momentum with the election of Borut Pahor as the party chairman. Their legal successors are the Social Democrats (SD.)
Party leaders
- Franc Leskošek (1943–1946) (1897–1983)
- Edvard Kardelj (1946–1948) (1910–1979)
- Miha Marinko (1948–1966) (1900–1983)
- Albert Jakopič (1966–1968) (1914–1996)
- Franc Popit (March 1969 – April 1982) (1921–2013)
- Andrej Marinc (April 1982 – May 1986) (born 1930)
- Milan Kučan (May 1986 – May 1990) (born 1941)
Other influential leaders