| Yugoslav Left Југословенска Левица |
|
|---|---|
| Leader | Mirjana Marković |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Ideology | Communism, Marxism-Leninism |
| Political position | Left |
| Politics of Yugoslavia Political parties Elections |
|
Yugoslav Left (Serbo-Croat: Југословенска Левица, Jugoslovenska Levica; abbreviated ЈУЛ, JUL) was a left-wing political party in Serbia and Montenegro.[1] It was formed in 1994 as is a coalition of 23 left-wing and communist parties, led by the League of Communists - Movement for Yugoslavia (SK-PJ). It has been led by Mirjana Marković, the wife of Slobodan Milošević. 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, greens social democrats, and socialists.[2]
It was considered an all-Yugoslavia party[1], as opposed to Slobodan Milošević's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), which had only a Serbian base (the SPS did not run in Montenegro, the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro or DPS CG, was its partner in the Federal Assembly). Despite minor differences, these parties collaborated closely. JUL has generally not taken part in elections separately. Several members of the SPS crossed the floor to JUL at some stage.[2]
In 1996, JUL ran in a coalition with the SPS and New Democracy. The party has had some ten MPs and representatives in various local assemblies. It has held ministerial posts during Milošević's period. In the 2003 Serbian legislative elections, JUL received only a 0.1% of the votes.[3]
As for international cooperation, JUL has visited the gatherings of several leftwing political forces both in Europe and worldwide, including ties with the Chinese Communist Party, Communist Party of Cuba and Workers' Party of Korea.
Its social base is mainly amongst peasants and pauperised workers, but it also had members from the so-called nouveau riche of Serbia during Milošević's terms in office, and many high-ranked civil servants and army staff. During 1990s, opponents of Milošević's government sometimes referred to the JUL "a branch of Communist Party of China in Yugoslavia".
together"]