1974 -- Yugoslav constitution redrawn, declares Kosovo an autonomous province within Serbia.
By the approbation of the new Yugoslav Constitution in 1974, Kosovo gained the right of self-governance. Whereof,
Kosovo’s status became equal to other Yugoslav republics, as Kosovo now had the right to independently appoint its highest officials, its president and the government, and its representative for a seat within collective Yugoslav Presidency.
Economically, Kosovo was moving ahead in unheard of leaps, with an annual industrial growth rate of 30 percent. With 8 percent of the Yugoslav population, Kosovo was allocated up to 30 percent of the Federal Development Funds. The Kosovo authorities, it was discovered later, used large sums from these funds to buy up land from Serbs and give it to Albanians, clearly a misappropriation
Kosovo central bank and its independent police forces were also established, as well as the right to veto laws proclaimed by the Serbian Parliament which affected the province. Except this last prefix,everything seemed smoothly flourishing and going upwards.
But just for a couple of years, until March 1981, when new massive demonstrations rocked Kosovo again and caused a total distraction of the Yugoslav communist regim.
The greater autonomy that was granted to Kosovo only resulted in greater aspirations for full independence from Serbia and Yugoslavia. The Communist Yugoslav regime created an atmosphere of rising expectations in Kosovo. The more the Serbs gave, the more the Albanians wanted, the more the Albanians took. It was an absurd and paradoxical cycle that was predictably going to lead to disaster.
By the approbation of the new Yugoslav Constitution in 1974, Kosovo gained the right of self-governance. Whereof,
Kosovo’s status became equal to other Yugoslav republics, as Kosovo now had the right to independently appoint its highest officials, its president and the government, and its representative for a seat within collective Yugoslav Presidency.
Economically, Kosovo was moving ahead in unheard of leaps, with an annual industrial growth rate of 30 percent. With 8 percent of the Yugoslav population, Kosovo was allocated up to 30 percent of the Federal Development Funds. The Kosovo authorities, it was discovered later, used large sums from these funds to buy up land from Serbs and give it to Albanians, clearly a misappropriation
Kosovo central bank and its independent police forces were also established, as well as the right to veto laws proclaimed by the Serbian Parliament which affected the province. Except this last prefix,everything seemed smoothly flourishing and going upwards.
But just for a couple of years, until March 1981, when new massive demonstrations rocked Kosovo again and caused a total distraction of the Yugoslav communist regim.
The greater autonomy that was granted to Kosovo only resulted in greater aspirations for full independence from Serbia and Yugoslavia. The Communist Yugoslav regime created an atmosphere of rising expectations in Kosovo. The more the Serbs gave, the more the Albanians wanted, the more the Albanians took. It was an absurd and paradoxical cycle that was predictably going to lead to disaster.