Milica Kočović De Santo

Milica Kočović De Santo is a senior researcher at the Institute of Economic Sciences in Belgrade. Her research focuses on alternative social and economic models towards imagining post-growth and post-developmental transitions.

Yugoslav Coat of Arms

Yugoslav Self-Management: Forgotten Seeds of Post-Growth Democracy

In an era when climate breakdown demands radical alternatives to endless growth, we might find unexpected wisdom in a largely forgotten experiment from the periphery of Europe’s recent past. For over four decades (1945-1991), Yugoslavia pioneered a unique form of economic democracy that shifted power from political elites to working people – anticipating many principles that today’s degrowth and post-growth movements advocate.

August 20, 2025