Croatian spring and Constitutionality of Croatia 1967.-1974.

Hrvatsko proljeće označava reformsko razdoblje na području političkog, kulturnog i društvenog života tadašnje Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske (dalje: SR Hrvatska) s ciljem demokratizacije, liberalizacije i postizanja političke, ekonomske te društvene ravnopravnosti SR Hrvatske i hrvatskog naroda u okviru Socijalističke Federativne Republike Jugoslavije (dalje: SFRJ). Iako je ravnopravnost Saveznih Republika i naroda u svim sferama života bila zajamčena Ustavom SFRJ, u praski je to bila rijetkost. Rezultat toga je buđenje hrvatskog političkog, intelektualnog i studentskog vodstva sredinom 60-ih i početkom 70-ih godina 20. stoljeća kako bi postigli potrebnu ravnopravnost. Prve naznake „buđenja proljeća“ javljaju se 1966. godine ostavkom Aleksandra Rankovića, sinonima za tvrdu unitarističku i centralističku politiku tadašnje Komunističke partije Jugoslavije (dalje: KPJ). Ne smije se zanemariti početak privredne reforme 1965. godine koja je imala direktan utjecaj na svakodnevni život ljudi u SFRJ. Godine 1967. učinjen je veliki korak od strane Matice Hrvatske. U tjedniku Telegram objavljena je Deklaracija s ciljem ravnopravnosti hrvatskog jezika u saveznim ustanovama i dosljednom primjenom hrvatskog standardnog jezika u SR Hrvatskoj. Deklaracija donosi buđenje nacionalnog identiteta, a politički vrh Komunističke partije Hrvatske (dalje: KPH) nedvosmisleno poziva na reforme dok ih hrvatski intelektualci i studenti u tome otvoreno podržavaju. SFRJ I KPJ navedene istupe shvaćaju kao ugrožavanje „bratstva i jedinstva“ pa zbog toga kreću u obračun s istaknutim „proljećarima“. Vrh KPH prisilno je podnio ostavke, intelektualci su isključeni iz društvenog života, a studenti osuđeni na kazne zatvora. Usprkos tome, Hrvatsko proljeće ostvarilo je svoj cilj donošenjem Ustava SFRJ 1974. godine kada je Saveznim Republikama omogućeno pravo na samoodređenje, odnosno pravo na odcjepljenje koje će svoj puni obujam iskazati dva desetljeća kasnije kada je san hrvatskog naroda postao stvarnost, a to je samostalna, neovisna i slobodna Republika Hrvatska.The Croatian Spring represented a reformation period in the beginning of political, cultural and social life of what was then Socialist Republic of Croatia (“SR Croatia”). The movement was aimed at democratization, liberalization and accomplishment of political, economic and social equality of SR Croatia and the Croatian people within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (“SFRY”). Although equality of the Federal Republics and peoples in all aspects of life was guaranteed by the Constitution of the SFRY, in actuality it was rarely the case. This situation resulted in the emergence of Croatian political, intellectual and student leaders in mid 1960s and 1970s who sought to achieve the much-needed equality. The first signs of “spring awakening” appeared in 1966 in the form of removal from office of Aleksandar Ranković, who was a synonym for hard unitarist and centralist policy of the then existing Communist Party of Yugoslavia (“CPY”). Another significant element that must not be neglected is the beginning of economic reform in 1965, which had a direct impact on day-to-day lives of people in SFRY. A major step forward was made in 1967 by Croatian institution Matica Hrvatska. In the weekly newspaper Telegram, Matica Hrvatska published the Declaration, aimed at achieving equal treatment of the Croatian language in federal institutions and consistent use of Croatian standard language in SR Croatia. The Declaration brought about the awakening of national identity, with top figures of the Communist Party of Croatia (CPC) unambiguously calling for reforms and being openly supported by Croatian intellectuals and students. SFRY and the CPY saw these actions as a threat to “brotherhood and unity” and began retaliating against the pronounced figures of the Croatian Spring movement. The heads of the CPC were forced to resign, intellectuals were excluded from public life and students were sentenced to imprisonment. Despite the hindrances, the Croatian Spring movement achieved its goal when the Constitution of SFRY of 1974 was adopted, granting the Federal Republics the right to self-determination, including the right to secede. The full extent of this right was yet to be exercised, two decades later, when the dream of the Croatian people became a reality – in the form of independent and free Republic of Croatia