Djilas, who was a close associate of Josip Broz Tito, the leader of Yugoslavia, argued that the communist system had given rise to a new ruling class, which he termed the "new class." This class, according to Djilas, was composed of high-ranking party officials, government bureaucrats, and managers of state-owned enterprises. They had supplanted the old aristocracy and bourgeoisie, but had inherited their privileges and abuses of power.