Numerous bankruptcies occurred as socially-owned enterprises struggled to compete in a more free market environment, a fact later wielded against Marković by many of his opponents.

Marković also maintained popularity by staying out of increasingly virulent quarrels within the leadership of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia or trying to act as mediator between various republics.

In July 1990, he formed the Union of Reform Forces of Yugoslavia (Savez reformskih snaga), a political party supporting a more centralized Yugoslav Federation, and accession to the European Community.

No one has any doubts in their mind any longer that he's the extended arm of the United States in terms of overthrowing anyone who ever thinks of socialism, and it is through our votes that we appointed him Prime Minister in the Assembly.

[8] Jović concluded that Marković was no doubt the most active creator of the destruction of our economy, and to a large extent a significant participant in the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Others, when boasted of having broken up Yugoslavia wanted to take this infamous role upon themselves but in all these respects they never came close to what Marković did, who had declared himself as the protagonist of Yugoslavia's survival[8] Later, his programme was sabotaged by Slobodan Milošević who had virtually sealed Markovic's failure by December 1990 by secretly securing an illegal loan worth $1.7 billion from Serbia's main bank to ease his reelection that month.

[9] Christopher Bennet, in Yugoslavia's Bloody Collapse, stated:[10] Quite simply, the bank printed whatever money Milošević felt he needed to get himself reelected and the size of the 'loan' became clear a few weeks later when inflation took off again throughout the country.

As the economy resumed its downward slide, Marković knew his enterprise had failed [...] The authority of the federal government was further diminished by secessionist moves in Slovenia and Croatia.

[12] Before he resigned in December 1991, Markovic endorsed the Carrington Plan to transform Yugoslavia into a loose confederation of states as a means to prevent a further escalation of the Yugoslav Wars.

[13] The purpose of the meeting was to persuade Marković to leave his position as the head of the Yugoslav federal government and endorse Croatian independence.

[citation needed] Shortly after, the Yugoslav People's Army attempted to assassinate Marković along with the democratically elected leadership of Croatia with a decapitation strike on Banski dvori.