Yugoslav Left Југословенска левица Jugoslovenska levica | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founder | Mirjana Marković |
| Founded | 23 July 1994 |
| Dissolved | 12 April 2010 |
| Preceded by | League of Communists – Movement for Yugoslavia |
| Headquarters | Venizelosova 31,Belgrade |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
| Colours | Red |
| Slogan | "Jul je kul!" ("JUL is cool!") |
| Website | |
| jul.org.yu (archived) | |
TheYugoslav Left,[a] also known as theYugoslav United Left[b] (JUL), was apolitical party inSerbia and theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia.[1] At its peak, the party had 20 seats inRepublic of Serbia'sNational Assembly following the1997 general election.
The party was formed in 1994 by merging 19 left-wing parties, led by theLeague of Communists – Movement for Yugoslavia (SK-PJ). It was led byMirjana Marković, originally holding the title of President of the Directorate.
Unlike theSocialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and its ally theDemocratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) which were direct descendants of theLeague of Communists of Serbia andMontenegro respectively, the Yugoslav Left was an all-Yugoslav party with members from both constituent bodies.[2]
Despite these differences, the JUL and the SPS collaborated closely. The JUL generally did not take part in elections separately. Several members of the SPScrossed the floor to JUL at some stage.[3]
On 24 and 25 March 1995, the party held its 1st Congress at theSava Center inBelgrade, and theatre director Ljubiša Ristić was elected president.[4]
In 1996, the JUL joined theLeft Coalition with the SPS andNew Democracy. Following the1997 election, the party had 20 MPs and representatives in various local assemblies. It held five ministerial posts in thesecond cabinet of Mirko Marjanović.
At the 2nd Congress inKragujevac on 6 April 2002, Marković was elected President of the Yugoslav Left.[5]
It had a minimal presence in Montenegrin politics. At its peak, the JUL was part of thePatriotic Coalition for Yugoslavia in the2002 election with thePeople's Socialist Party of Montenegro, and theSerbian Radical Party. The coalition won less than 3% of the vote and no seats.
In the2003 election in Serbia, the JUL received only 0.1% of the vote.[6] The party officially ceased to exist on 12 April 2010.[7]
JUL has been described as aradical orfar-left political party by various sources.[8][9][10] It has been described asneocommunist,[11][12][13][14]communist,[15]Marxist,[3]nationalist,[16][17] andEurosceptic.[18] In its political platform, it supported communism and generalYugoslavism.[19] JUL declared itself to be a party of all "left-wing and progressive forces that believed that the general interest always comes above private interest", including communists,socialists,greens,[20]social democrats, anddemocratic socialists.[1]
Political scientistSrbobran Branković [sr] stated about JUL that "its policies were totally opposite to its rhetoric."[21]Aleksandar Vulin, a co-founder and spokesman for JUL, left the party after perceiving it to have "betrayed its program and became a political mask for the wealthy sitting in the party", and later went on to found theMovement of Socialists.[22]
Its supporters believed inpostmaterialism, were opposed to private ownership, and supported law and order.[23] Its social base was mainly amongst peasants and pauperised workers, but it also had members from the so-callednouveau riche of Serbia duringMilošević's terms in office, and many high-ranked civil servants and army staff. During the 1990s, opponents of Milošević's government sometimes referred to the JUL "a branch ofCommunist Party of China in Yugoslavia".[3]
Mirjana Marković, one of the original co-founders, was the first president of JUL.[24][25]
The JUL visited the gatherings of several far-left political groups inEurope and worldwide. It held ties with theCommunist Party of China, theCommunist Party of Cuba and theWorkers' Party of Korea.[3]
| Year | Popular vote | % of popular vote | # of seats | Seat change | Coalition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1,418,036 | 34.26% | 20 / 250 |  20 | Left Coalition | government |
| 2000 | 14,324 | 0.38% | 0 / 250 |  20 | no seats | |
| 2003 | 3,771 | 0.09% | 0 / 250 |  0 | no seats |
| Year | Popular vote | % of popular vote | # of seats | Seat change | Coalition | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,668 | 0.55% | 0 / 250 | New | no seats | |
| 1998 | 345 | 0.10% | 0 / 250 | 0 | no seats | |
| 2001 | 190 | 0.05% | 0 / 250 | 0 | no seats | |
| 2002 | 9,911 | 2.84% | 0 / 250 | 0 | PKJ | no seats |
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