Ivan Stambolić

Stambolić did what he could to try to prevent the rise of Milošević, and though he failed, his conscience was clear at the start of the wars

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When did you first hear about Stambolić?

In the 1980s when I began reporting from Yugoslavia. After the war had begun I met him a few times and had two or three delightful conversations with him, mainly about Milošević and his wife, Mira.

What kind of man was he?

Stambolić was one of the most impressive political figures to emerge in the former Yugoslavia in the late postwar period. Born into an important communist family in Serbia, his uncle was close to Tito. He worked as an engineer before going into politics, which gave him some working-class ‘cred’. Stambolić was a likeable, convivial person who believed in Yugoslav communism but was also a pragmatist.

What made Stambolić a hero?