Novi Plamen () was a left-wing journal for political, social and cultural issues primarily aimed at intellectual audiences in the former Yugoslavia and the related diaspora. It was a leading publication of its kind in the region, covering the entire post-Yugoslav space. It was published by the Demokratska misao () publishing company based in Zagreb and largely sold at kiosks. Its editors-in-chief were Mladen JakopoviÃÂ (pseudonym Daniel Jakopovich), Ivica MladenoviÃÂ and Professor Goran MarkoviÃÂ.
The name of the journal is an allusion to the distinguished left-wing magazine ' which was published in 1919 and edited by Miroslav Krleà ¾a and August Cesarec. It also alludes to Karl Kraus' Die Fackel ("The Torch").
The journal centred on politics, culture, peace and social justice studies, and on the obstacles and potentials for political, economic and social democratisation. According to the Belgrade newspaper of record Danas, it has "established itself as the only left-wing journal covering the entire ex-Yugoslav territory, managing to gather some of the pre-eminent intellectuals from all the ex-Yugoslav republics. In so doing it has become a factor which contributes to the re-unification of the scattered gems of the South Slavic intelligentsia around, simply put, the idea of a more humane civilisation".
Novi Plamen was also one of the first publications in the region that helped to inaugurate the advocacy of animal rights and animal liberation.
The well-known Croatian writer and journalist noted the extensive and inter-disciplinary character of Novi Plamens issues: "The comrades sent me Novi Plamen the other day and it makes one's head spin. Sociology, philosophy, demographics, history, statistics, international relations... Everything is there. If our Television discussed just one article in prime time each day, there would be work for the entire year". The 2013 issue was published on 342 pages.
The journal had an Advisory Board consisting of well-known international left-wing figures such as Noam Chomsky, philosopher Slavoj à ½ià ¾ek, Ken Coates MEP, John McDonnell MP, Michael Löwy and Jean Ziegler, as well as leading intellectuals and public figures from South East Europe, including the Deputy Prime Minister of the Croatian government Slobodan Uzelac, former Croatian Minister of Economy Ljubo JurÃÂiàMP, former Croatian Minister of Culture Antun VujiàMP, Croatian MP Milorad Pupovac, president of the Croatian Writers' Association Velimir ViskoviÃÂ, President of the Croatian PEN Club Nadeà ¾da ÃÂaÃÂinoviÃÂ, politician and historian Latinka PeroviÃÂ, Serbian sociologist and philosopher Zagorka GoluboviÃÂ, writers Slobodan à  najder, Filip Erceg, Igor à  tiks and Predrag Matvejevià(Vice-President of the International PEN Centre), former Bosnian Minister for Multiculturalism Marko Orà ¡oliàand former Minister for Foreign Trade Dragoljub Stojanov, sociologist and politician Slavo KukiÃÂ, professor and politician Bogdan Denitch, actor Josip PejakoviÃÂ, professor Ljubomir Cuculovski, the Canadian academician Darko Suvin and others. Contributors to the magazine have also included the President of Croatia Ivo JosipoviÃÂ, the Nobel laureate for Literature Dario Fo, Slavoj à ½ià ¾ek, Sir Richard Jolly, prominent Dutch politician and UN diplomat Jan Pronk, the British academic and politician Stuart Holland, Igor MandiÃÂ, Todor KuljiÃÂ, Drago Pilsel, Ljubo JurÃÂiàMP, Biljana Borzan MP, Marin JurjeviàMP, SreÃÂko Pulig, Rastko MoÃÂnik, Sonja Lokar, Antun VujiàMP, Duà ¡an Pajoviàand Inoslav Beà ¡ker.
Novi Plamen was co-financed with the aid of the Croatian Ministry of Culture.
Novi Plamen and the Demokratska misao publishing company co-organized an international scientific conference titled Participation, Self-management, Democracy held in Zagreb in November 2007, along with the Left International Forum of the Swedish Left Party. The progressive Belgrade-based politics and economics think-tank Laboratorija progresivnih ideja Dimitrije TucoviÃÂ ("Laboratory of Progressive Ideas "Dimitrije TucoviÃÂ"") is closely associated with the journal, and the majority of its materials are texts re-published from Novi Plamen.
The journal was the first to publish a list of political prisoners interned on the Goli Otok labour camp in the 1950s, which provoked much interest in the mass media throughout the region. The journal is an initiative of people whose political socialisation occurred after the fall of former Yugoslavia, and the journal's disagreement with the repressive and undemocratic currents of the "Old Left" has been repeatedly covered and emphasised in the mass media.