Miko Tripalo
Encyclopedia
Miko Tripalo was a Croatia
n and Yugoslav
politician.
A son of well-to-do farmers' family near Sinj
, he joined Tito's Partisans
as a teenager. Later he joined Communist Party of Yugoslavia and rose through its ranks, getting many important positions in Yugoslavia
.
Gradually, Tripalo rose to enough prominence to join second generation of top Communist officials in Yugoslavia. They were, under tacit blessing of Josip Broz Tito
, supposed to introduce various economic and political reforms in late 1960s. Tripalo, together with Savka Dabčević-Kučar, became one of the leaders of Croatian Communist Party.
In 1970 Tripalo and Savka introduced new Party platform that demanded more autonomy for Croatia
within Yugoslavia. The platform was promoted through mass ralies, soon becoming a popular movement, later called Croatian Spring
. Savka and Tripalo became the most popular politicians in Croatia at the time.
New policy was opposed by more conservative elements of the Party and Yugoslav People's Army
and also created a lot of ethnic tensions in parts of Croatia with large Serb minority. That, and Croatian students making even more radical demands, finally led Tito to openly turn against Savka and Tripalo at Karađorđevo Party conference in December 1971. Savka and Tripalo were quickly removed from their Party position and, ultimately, from public life.
In 1989, with an arrival of multi-party democracy in Croatia, Tripalo re-emerged in Croatian politics as one of the top opposition figures. He published a book called Croatian Spring, claiming that the movement, previously known as Maspok, was inspired by Prague Spring
and extinguished in the same manner.
Tripalo and Savka believed themselves to be the obvious leaders of Croatian opposition, although they refused to form their own party. Instead, they initiated creation of Coalition of People's Accord
- a broad alliance of mostly moderate nationalist parties - whom they led during 1990 parliamentary elections
. Their hopes were soon extinguished due to electoral law favouring only two strongest parties, one of them being Croatian Communist Party, recently rebranded into Social Democratic Party of Croatia
. The other, more likely to exploit popular disastifaction with Communism and Yugoslavia, as well as fear of emerging Serb nationalism, was Croatian Democratic Union
under Franjo Tuđman. Coalition finished third and won only a handful of seats.
Few months later, in Autumn of 1990, Tripalo and Savka finally initiated creation of their own party that would later become Croatian People's Party.
In next few years, Tripalo, always in the shadow of more charismatic and more popular Savka, was begin to distance himself from his long-term political partner. This became apparent after 1992 and Savka's failure at parliamentary and presidential
elections, events that coincided with the rise of hardline nationalist faction within HDZ. Tripalo, unlike Savka, was increasingly troubled by the prospect of Croatia shifting to the far and even more by the prospects of HNS not being opposed to certain tendencies associated with far right. In 1994 he left HNS and joined newly formed left-wing party called Social Democratic Action of Croatia
(ASH). The party failed to make much of an impact on 1995 parliamentary elections
.
Tripalo, faced with deteriorating health, died few years later.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n and Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
politician.
A son of well-to-do farmers' family near Sinj
Sinj
Sinj is a town in the continental part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The town itself has a population of 11,448, while the population of the administrative municipality which includes surrounding villages is 24,832 ....
, he joined Tito's Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
as a teenager. Later he joined Communist Party of Yugoslavia and rose through its ranks, getting many important positions in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Gradually, Tripalo rose to enough prominence to join second generation of top Communist officials in Yugoslavia. They were, under tacit blessing of Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
, supposed to introduce various economic and political reforms in late 1960s. Tripalo, together with Savka Dabčević-Kučar, became one of the leaders of Croatian Communist Party.
In 1970 Tripalo and Savka introduced new Party platform that demanded more autonomy for Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
within Yugoslavia. The platform was promoted through mass ralies, soon becoming a popular movement, later called Croatian Spring
Croatian Spring
The Croatian Spring was a political movement from the early 1970s that called for greater rights for Croatia which was then part of Yugoslavia as well as democratic and economic reforms.-History:...
. Savka and Tripalo became the most popular politicians in Croatia at the time.
New policy was opposed by more conservative elements of the Party and Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
and also created a lot of ethnic tensions in parts of Croatia with large Serb minority. That, and Croatian students making even more radical demands, finally led Tito to openly turn against Savka and Tripalo at Karađorđevo Party conference in December 1971. Savka and Tripalo were quickly removed from their Party position and, ultimately, from public life.
In 1989, with an arrival of multi-party democracy in Croatia, Tripalo re-emerged in Croatian politics as one of the top opposition figures. He published a book called Croatian Spring, claiming that the movement, previously known as Maspok, was inspired by Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
and extinguished in the same manner.
Tripalo and Savka believed themselves to be the obvious leaders of Croatian opposition, although they refused to form their own party. Instead, they initiated creation of Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord was the bloc of mostly moderate nationalist and liberal parties formed on the eve of first multi-party elections in Croatia in 1990....
- a broad alliance of mostly moderate nationalist parties - whom they led during 1990 parliamentary elections
Croatian parliamentary election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 22 April 1990, with a second round of voting on 6 May. The first free elections since multi-party politics were introduced, they resulted in a victory for the Croatian Democratic Union, which won 55 of the 80 seats...
. Their hopes were soon extinguished due to electoral law favouring only two strongest parties, one of them being Croatian Communist Party, recently rebranded into Social Democratic Party of Croatia
Social Democratic Party of Croatia
Social Democratic Party of Croatia , commonly referred to in Croatia as simply Social Democratic Party , is the largest centre-left political party in Croatia...
. The other, more likely to exploit popular disastifaction with Communism and Yugoslavia, as well as fear of emerging Serb nationalism, was Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
under Franjo Tuđman. Coalition finished third and won only a handful of seats.
Few months later, in Autumn of 1990, Tripalo and Savka finally initiated creation of their own party that would later become Croatian People's Party.
In next few years, Tripalo, always in the shadow of more charismatic and more popular Savka, was begin to distance himself from his long-term political partner. This became apparent after 1992 and Savka's failure at parliamentary and presidential
Croatian presidential election, 1992
Presidential elections were held in Croatia for the first time on 2 August 1992 alongside simultaneous parliamentary elections. The result was a victory for Franjo Tuđman of the Croatian Democratic Union , who received 57.8% of the vote...
elections, events that coincided with the rise of hardline nationalist faction within HDZ. Tripalo, unlike Savka, was increasingly troubled by the prospect of Croatia shifting to the far and even more by the prospects of HNS not being opposed to certain tendencies associated with far right. In 1994 he left HNS and joined newly formed left-wing party called Social Democratic Action of Croatia
Social Democratic Action of Croatia
Social Democratic Action of Croatia is a Croatian left-wing political party.It was founded by 1994 by members of Social Democratic Party of Croatia dissatisfied with the centrist policies of SDP leader Ivica Račan and his lack of criticism towards Franjo Tuđman.The party had high hopes of...
(ASH). The party failed to make much of an impact on 1995 parliamentary elections
Croatian parliamentary election, 1995
-Subsequent changes:The following changes happened after elections:*The Croatian Pure Party of Rights gained one member of parliament*The Croatian Christian Democratic Union gained one more member of parliament*The Serb People's Party lost one member of parliament...
.
Tripalo, faced with deteriorating health, died few years later.