Causes and consequences of the East European revolutions of 1989

Abstract

The grand transformation in central Europe clearly proves the democratic impulse to be more enduring than the socialist impulse. The latter appears to be in a process of dramatic breakdown while the former continues to be on the ascendant, asserting its relevance and reinforcing its determination to exist in a unipolar world by unambiguously conveying the message that it has not outlived its purpose. This paper examines three separate yet interrelated issues-the factors that impelled the grand transformation in eastern Europe, the nature of the problems involved in effecting the transition to a democratic regime based in the market and the theoretical issues they raise in the analysis of comparative economic systems.