Federalist Mihailo Konstantinović

Abstract

Profesor Mihailo Konstantinović je zajedno sa svojim kolegama, Mihailom Ilićem i Đorđem Tasićem, savetovao predsednika vlade Dragišu Cvetkovića, koji je inspirisan zamislima kneza-namesnika Pavla, posle komplikovanih pregovora postigao sporazum s vođom najjače hrvatske političke stranke Vlatkom Mačekom. Na osnovu tog sporazuma, koji je sklopljen pri samom kraju avgusta 1939. godine, doneta je Uredba o Banovini Hrvatskoj, kojom je ova stekla poseban položaj u jugoslovenskoj kraljevini. Konstantinović je učestvovao u pregovorima kao ekspert i umnogome doprineo formulisanju teksta te uredbe. Namere tvoraca sporazuma, kao i kneza Pavla, težile su načelnom preuređenju države tako što će biti uveden federalizam. Konstantinović se vrlo mnogo angažovao u tom pogledu i sastavio je nacrt uredbe o Banovini Srpskih Zemalja. Političke prilike i rat omeli su ostvarenje takve zamisli, ali se profesor Konstantinović jasno pokazao kao pristalica federativnog uređenja.

Mihailo Konstantinović, together with his colleagues Mihailo Ilić and Đorđe Tasić, served as counsel to Prime Minister Dragiša Cvetković committed by Prince Regent Pavle to reach an agreement with Vlatko Maček, the leader of the strongest Croatian political party. The August 1939 agreement resulted in the creation of the Banovina of Croatia, which thus obtained special status within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Konstantinović took part in the negotiations and significantly contributed to the drafting of the accompanying decree. The intention of the parties to the agreement, in line with the Prince Regents, was in the direction of introducing federalism in Yugoslavia. Konstantinović very much engaged in such efforts and drafted a decree that was to create the Banovina of Serbian Lands. Political circumstances, as well as the war, impeded the implementation of such ideas, but Konstantinović nevertheless proved himself a convinced federalist.