A few days ago, we lost our friend, colleague, and collaborator Franjo Žilić, a long-time journalist, editor-in-chief, and director of the once-iconic Privredni vjesnik. Although he was in advanced years, he passed away unexpectedly after a short and severe illness.
In his long journalistic career, Franjo was one of the doyens of economic journalism in Croatia. He chose the journalistic profession in his early youth, specifically the most vital part – economic journalism. He began publishing his first articles in Privredni vjesnik while still a student at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb. Thus, during his studies, he chose journalism as his life calling and remained faithful to it until the end of his life. After graduating from the Faculty of Law, he became a permanent member of the editorial board of Privredni vjesnik. Very soon after, he was elected deputy editor-in-chief, and later became editor-in-chief and director of that esteemed economic newspaper. He held both of these last positions until his retirement.
Even as a retiree, in advanced age and with significantly impaired health, Franjo did not give up his lifelong love. He actively edited the magazine Perspektive, which focused on the most vital and strategic themes of our country’s development.
Privredni vjesnik, where Franjo Žilić was a journalist, editor, editor-in-chief, and director, was one of the most respected economic publications, not only in Croatia but also in significantly broader Yugoslav territories. From the very beginning, in times when writing and expressing public opinions were carefully “observed” from distant political perspectives, Privredni vjesnik, Franjo, and his colleagues were torchbearers of innovative and free ideas that contributed to the faster and healthier development of the Croatian economy and society as a whole. In this context, I will mention an interesting, almost anecdotal detail. In the first issue of Privredni vjesnik, printed in May of the distant 1953, the front page featured a headline about a visit from a group of American economists to Zagreb. Namely, ten prominent American economists held public forums across Europe, in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Zurich, Vienna, and Paris. They spoke, of course, about the “blessings” of the free market, the need to improve trade between countries, new economic and financial relations between European countries, and other principles on which economic life in post-war Europe should be organized. The most interesting thing is that this group of economists visited Zagreb, which was then deeply entrenched behind the “iron curtain,” and held several lectures for Croatian entrepreneurs and the scientific public on the same topics.
From today’s perspective, the visit of foreign experts was not news. However, in those gloomy times, it took courage to publish such a headline. It was the era of “deep” socialism in our country. Thus, at a time when our Eastern brethren from Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, and Bucharest were not allowed, to vulgarize a bit, to “stick their noses out” from under the coat of a mustachioed dictator, Zagreb and Privredni vjesnik were, even then, somewhat shyly but bravely hinting that they belonged to something different, freer, and more humane.
Privredni vjesnik, its editor-in-chief Franjo Žilić, and his collaborators particularly demonstrated creativity in the 1990s, during the transition of the Croatian economy. In those turbulent times, Privredni vjesnik was dedicated to developing bold ideas around the privatization of the social economy, the fate of banking, and the development of the free market.
During those years, Privredni vjesnik – Franjo, his editorial team, and external collaborators launched several major projects that strategically pointed to optimal solutions in the transition of our economy. In this context, I will mention the “Ranking List of Croatian Banks,” which for the next twenty years served as an analytical block and guide on how to best transform and develop the financial sector. During the same period, a long-term project called “400 Big Ones” was realized, dedicated to showcasing the operations and transformation of large socialist enterprises into modern market corporations. Then, the well-known “Business Expectations,” initiated even before the war drama, continued to be published for many years after Croatia gained independence. I would also add that, for these occasions, a special “Conjunctural Test” was created, which analyzed the state of competitiveness and the dynamics of integrating the Croatian economy into global processes. Additionally, several practical manuals were produced, such as the “Financial Guide of Croatia,” whose three editions served all those interested in participating in the transformation of our banking system from socialist self-management to a modern, market-oriented financial model.
Based on the aforementioned long-term projects, Privredni vjesnik regularly organized large forums and discussions in professional and general public circles regarding open questions of the transition of individual sectors and the overall Croatian economy. In this way, it led the way in creating ideas on how to carry out a rational transition to a market economy, how to affirm the free market and private ownership, and implement other capital changes while preserving the achieved level of economic development, employment, and social standards. The businessman rightly opposed some unreasonable ideas that everything done in the previous system was irrational and should be destroyed. From its first pages, ideas and messages were “bursting” forth to the holders of Croatian economic policy: preserve industry, increase efforts to improve exports, do not hand over the entire banking sector to foreigners, buy Croatian, and others.
