RIP Dr. Branko Horvat (1928 – 2003)

Dr. Branko Horvat, one of Croatia's greatest economists and multiple Nobel Prize for Economics nominee, has died.

For majority of Croatian population, which doesn't seem to care about economics until it hurts their wallet, Dr. Horvat is best known as one of the last die-hard and unrepentant old-style Communists. This perception, created together with his far left SDU party in 1992 and his vocal opposition to violent dissolution of Yugoslavia, is in sharp contrast with his image of dissident created during Communist years. In late 1980s Dr. Horvat was one of very few and very brave people who expressed sympathies for Kosovo Albanians and even supported heretical idea of turning Kosovo into full-fledged republic of former Yugoslavia. Later Horvat challenged Communist authorities by creating UJDI – Association of Yugoslav Democratic Initiative – small NGO that was supposed to become first non-Communist political party and basis for peaceful transformation of Yugoslavia into modern liberal democracy. That initiative, together with many of Horvat's ideas, was swept under the carpet of history. Horvat nevertheless kept his integrity, and his opposition to dominant nationalism in Croatia was later matched by his equally spirited criticism of "wild", unrestricted capitalism in early 1990s Croatia. Horvat's recipe was return to "self-management" style of socialism that was supposed to reconcile free market economy and welfare state. His SDU party, after managing to snatch a seat or two on local elections, fell prey to internal divisions and faded away, leaving former Communist ideologist Stipe Šuvar (Stipe Suvar) and his SRP to carry the torch of Croatian far left. History wasn't kind to Dr. Horvat and his ideas, but future generations are going to appreciate bravery with which he had defended them in most inopportune times.