ABSTRACT
The transition of power to the collective presidency was smooth, based on the agreed strategy of the leadership to continue along Tito's path. The lavish state funeral of Yugoslavia's late leader symbolized the commitment of his successors to maintaining the status quo. The collective presidency lacked both vision and unity of purpose to deal with the challenges of the 1980s, while the country descended into economic and political crisis. The increasingly public differences between Serbia and Slovenia came to the forefront, creating the space for a broader public debate on the causes of the crisis and possible solutions. The grave economic crisis that coincided with Tito's death set the stage for the radically divergent visions of Yugoslavia within the Serbian and the Slovenian party leaderships. In both Serbia and Slovenia, Tito's death in 1980 removed the main pillar of pan-Yugoslav authority and inaugurated a period of liberalization, which enabled the critical intelligentsias to attract greater public resonance.
