In the late 1980s, Slobodan Milošević became one of the most powerful politicians in the country. Despite having a previous reputation as a hard-line communist anti-nationalist, Milošević pivoted toward Serbian nationalism, and repressed demands for cultural autonomy from Yugoslavia's other ethnic groups. This in turn further motivated calls for independence from non-Serb ethnic groups, culminating in overwhelmingly successful independence referendums in Croatia and Slovenia in 1991 and 1990 respectively.