Republic of Serbia (1992–2006)

Not to be confused withRepublika Srpska (1992–1995).

Republic of Serbia Република Србија Republika Srbija
1992–2006
(1992—2004) (2004—2006) Flag (1992—2004) (2004—2006) Coat of arms
Anthem:"Хеј, Словени"(1992–2004)" Hej, Sloveni" "Hey, Slavs" Боже правде(2005–2006) Bože pravde (English:"God of Justice")
Subdivisions ofSerbia and Montenegro: Serbia Autonomous provincesof Serbia Montenegro
Status	Constituent stateofSerbia and Montenegro
Capital	Belgrade
Official languages	Serbo-Croatian
Government	1992–2000: Dominant-partyparliamentary republic 2000–2006: Parliamentary republic
President
• 1990–1997	Slobodan Milošević
• 1997–2002	Milan Milutinović
• 2004–2006	Boris Tadić
Prime Minister
• 1992–1993(first)	Radoman Božović
• 2004–2006(last)	Vojislav Koštunica
Legislature	National Assembly
Historical era	Yugoslav Wars
• Constitution adopted	28 September 1990
•Federal Republic of Yugoslaviafounded	27 April 1992
• Dissolution of the State union of Serbia and Montenegro	5 June 2006
Area
• Total	88,361 km2(34,116 sq mi)
2006	88,361 km2(34,116 sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	RS
Preceded by Succeeded by Socialist Republic of Serbia 1999: United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo 2006: Republic of Serbia
Today part of	Serbia Kosovo[a]
^Thepolitical status of Kosovois disputed.

TheRepublic of Serbia(Serbo-Croatian:Република Србија/Republika Srbija) was a constituent state of theFederal Republic of Yugoslaviabetween 1992 and 2003 and theState Union of Serbia and Montenegrofrom 2003 to 2006. WithMontenegro's secession from the union withSerbiain June 2006,both becamesovereign statesin their own right for the first time in nearly 88 years.

After theLeague of Communists of Yugoslaviacollapsed in 1990, theSocialist Republic of Serbialed bySlobodan Milošević'sSocialist Party(formerly theCommunists) adopted a new constitution, declaring itself a constituent republic with democratic institutions within Yugoslavia, and the "Socialist" adjective was dropped from the official title. AsYugoslavia broke up,in 1992 Serbia and Montenegro formed a new federative state called theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia,known after 2003 as simplySerbia and Montenegro.

Serbia was not officially involved in the Bosnian or Croatian wars. However, the Serb rebel entities both sought direct unification with Serbia.SAO Krajinaand later theRepublic of Serbian Krajinasought to become "a constitutive part of the unified state territory of the Republic of Serbia".TheRepublika Srpska's political leaderRadovan Karadžićdeclared that he did not want it to be in a federation alongside Serbia in Yugoslavia, but that Srpska should be directly incorporated into Serbia.While Serbia acknowledged both entities' desire to be in a common state with Serbia, both entities chose the path of individual independence and so the Serbian government did not recognize them as part of Serbia, or within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Although Serbia kept nominally out of theYugoslav warsuntil 1998 when theKosovo Warbroke out, the 1990s were marked by an economic crisis and hyperinflation, the Yugolav wars, a refugee crisis, and the authoritarian rule ofSlobodan Milošević.After the oppositioncame to powerin 2000, Serbia (viewed in the international community differently from Montenegro whose leadership was in good terms with the West since 1998) began its transition in reconciliation with western nations, a decade later than most other east European countries. As a result of this change,Yugoslaviabegan to slowly re-integrate itself internationally following a period of isolation caused by sanctions that were now gently easing.

Background

With the collapse of theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia(SFRY) in 1992, the two remaining constituent republics of Serbia andMontenegroagreed to form a new Yugoslav state which officially abandoned communism in favor of forming a new Yugoslavia based upon democratic institutions (although the republic retained its communist coat of arms). This new rump Yugoslavia was known as theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia(FRY). TheSocialist Republic of Serbiabecame known as theRepublic of Serbiain 1990 after theLeague of Communists of Yugoslaviacollapsed, though former Communist politicians would exercise influence for the first ten years, as the rulingSocialist Party of Serbiawas directly descended from theLeague of Communists of Serbia.Serbia appeared to be the dominant republic in the FRY given the vast size and population differences between the republics; internally, however, the two entities functioned independently while with regard to foreign affairs, the federal government had comprised Montenegrins as well as Serbians.

History

Federation

Main article:Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Slobodan Milošević,President of Serbia from 1989 to 1997 and President of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000.

Zoran Đinđić,Prime Minister of Serbia from 2001 to 2003.

The politics of Serbia in the FRY continued to support Serbian interests inBosnia and HerzegovinaandCroatiawhose Serb populations wanted to remain in Yugoslavia. Since 1989, Serbia had been led bySlobodan Milošević,a former Communist who promised to defend and promote Serb interests in Yugoslavia. In 1992, he and Montenegrin PresidentMomir Bulatovićformed theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia.Many critics on the international stage saw Serbia as the dominant internal unit of the FRY, in which Serbian President Milošević seemed to have more influence on federal politics than the Yugoslav President (the first federal president,Dobrica Ćosićwas forced to resign for opposing Milošević). The Milosevic government did not have official territorial claims on theRepublic of Macedonia.Others have claimed that Milosevic only advocatedself-determinationof self-proclaimed Serbs who wished to remain in Yugoslavia.

During the Yugoslav Wars in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, Milošević supported Serb separatists who wished to secede from these newly created states. This support extended to controversial figures such as Bosnian Serb leaderRadovan Karadžić,and accusations by some international figures claimed that Milošević was in charge of the Serb factions during the war and had authorized war atrocities to occur.

In 1995, Milošević represented theBosnian Serbsduring the signing of theDayton Peace Agreement.Milošević continued to be President of Serbia until 1997 when he retired as Serbian President and became Yugoslav President.Milan Milutinovićtook over as Serbian President from Milošević that year.

From 1996 to 1999, severe political instability erupted in the Albanian-populated province ofKosovoin Serbia. This caused theKosovo Warfrom 1998until 1999.During the Kosovo War,Serbia and Montenegro were bombed by NATO aircraftwhich included the Serbian and federal capital ofBelgrade.Afterward, Belgrade agreed to relinquish control of the province of Kosovo to aUnited Nationsautonomousmandate.On April 12, 1999, the Federal Assembly of the FR Yugoslavia passed the "Decision on the accession of the FRY to the Union state of Russia and Belarus".The legal successor of that decision is the Republic of Serbia.

Vojislav Koštunica,President of Yugoslavia from 2000 to 2003 and Prime Minister of Serbia from 2004 to 2006

TheYugoslav Warsresulted in a failing economy in Serbia due to sanctions,hyperinflaton,and anger at the federal presidency of Milošević. The wars and their aftermath saw the rise of Serbianultranationalistparties, such as theSerbian Radical Partyled byVojislav Šešelj,who in his rhetoric, promoted the idea ofSerbscontinuing to live in a single state. Šešelj participated in the ethnic Serbian campaign against Croats and Bosniaks during the Yugoslav Wars. Šešelj was twice arrested in 1994 and 1995 by the Yugoslav government, but eventually became Vice-President of Serbia from 1998 to 2000. In 2000, Serbian citizens protested against elections when Milošević refused to stand down from the Yugoslav Presidency following elections as allegations of voter fraud existed.Milošević was oustedon 5 October 2000, and officially resigned the following day. He was later arrested in 2001 by federal authorities for alleged corruption whilst in power but was soon transferred toThe Hagueto face war crimes charges.

After the overthrow of Milošević,Vojislav Koštunicabecame the President of Yugoslavia. In 2002, Milošević's ally, Serbian President Milutinović resigned, thus ending twelve years of some form of the political leadership of theSocialist Party of Serbiaover the republic.Boris Tadićof theDemocratic Partyreplaced Milutinović.

Confederation

Main article:Serbia and Montenegro

In 2003, following the new confederation, Serbia became one of the constituent states within it along withMontenegro.The confederacy arose as Montenegrin nationalism was growing. Montenegro had for some years used external currency as legal tender, this began with theGerman Mark,and since 2002, became theEuro.Serbia, however continued to use theYugoslav Dinar,and the national bank of Yugoslavia. Serbia's attachment to the confederation would be its final subordination until its independence was declared in 2006 following Montenegro's declaration of independence from the confederation following a referendum on independence shortly prior.

Between 2003 and 2006, Serbia was faced with internal political strife over the direction of the republic, Serbian politicians were divided over the decision to create the loose state union in the first place.Zoran Đinđićwho was seen as a major proponent of the state union was criticized by the former Yugoslav PresidentVojislav Koštunica.The anger of nationalists over Đinđić's positions resulted in a suddenassassination in March 2003which caused a state of emergency to be declared.In 2004, pro-European Unionpolitical forces united against nationalist forces who opposed Serbia's entry into the EU until the EU recognized Serbia's sovereignty inKosovo.

On 21 May 2006, Serbia faced the implications of areferendumon independence from the state union by Montenegro.Most Serbians wished to keep Montenegro in a state union due to the previous close ties which the two nations had and that Montenegrins were considered in Serbia to be the same as Serbs culturally and ethnically. Despite a hard-fought campaign by pro-unionists, pro-independence forces narrowly won the referendum with just over 55% threshold demanded by theEuropean Union.TheAssembly of the Republic of Montenegromade a formal Declaration of Independence on Saturday 3 June.

With Montenegro's independence granted, Serbia declared itself the legal and politicalsuccessorofSerbia and Montenegro,the first time it had been so since 1918 and that thegovernmentandparliament of Serbiaitself would soon adopt a new constitution.This also ended an almost 88-year union between Montenegro and Serbia.

Economy

Sanctions

Main article:Sanctions against Yugoslavia

Throughout most of the 1990s and early-2000s,sanctionswere held against Serbia. the sanctions against Yugoslavia started to be withdrawn after theoverthrow of Miloševićand most were lifted by 19 January 2001.

Government

Presidents

• Slobodan Milošević(11 January 1991 – 23 July 1997)
• Dragan Tomić(23 July 1997 – 29 December 1997) (acting)
• Milan Milutinović(29 December 1997 – 29 December 2002)
• Nataša Mićić(29 December 2002 – 27 January 2004) (acting)
• Dragan Maršićanin(4 February 2004 – 3 March 2004) (acting)
• Vojislav Mihailović(3 March 2004 – 4 March 2004) (acting)
• Predrag Marković(4 March 2004 – 11 July 2004) (acting)
• Boris Tadić(11 July 2004 – 5 June 2006)

Prime Ministers

• Radoman Božović(27 April 1992 – 10 February 1993)
• Nikola Šainović(10 February 1993 – 18 March 1994)
• Mirko Marjanović(18 March 1994 – 24 October 2000)
• Milomir Minić(25 October 2000 – 25 January 2001)
• Zoran Đinđić(25 January 2001 – 12 March 2003)
• Nebojša Čović(12 March 2003 – 18 March 2003) (acting)
• Žarko Korać(17 March 2003 – 18 March 2003) (acting)
• Zoran Živković(18 March 2003 – 4 March 2004)
• Vojislav Koštunica(4 March 2004 – 5 June 2006)

See also

• Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
• Socialist Republic of Serbia

• Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

• Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo

Sources

• Bataković, Dušan T.,ed. (2005).Histoire du peuple serbe[History of the Serbian People] (in French). Lausanne: L’Age d’Homme.ISBN9782825119587.
• Jovanovic, Predrag; Sukovic, Danilo (2001)."A decade under sanctions".Transparentnost. Archived fromthe originalon 2022-12-27.Retrieved2023-07-04.
• Miller, Nicholas (2005). "Serbia and Montenegro".Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture.Vol. 3. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 529–581.ISBN9781576078006.
• The Mandala Projects (2012)."Serbia Sanctions (SERBSANC)".The Mandala Projects. 391. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-05-12.Retrieved2016-06-18.