Sosialististen reformien pohjustamat revoluutiot Itä-Euroopassa

Författare

• Urpo Kivikari

Abstract

Eastern Europe and its relations with the rest of the world have lived through unparalleled changes after the removal of obstacles to the development of democracy and the market economy. The transition is irrevocable but not at all completed. The process also brings a lot of hardship for the people. The market economy enters Eastern Europe with »the ugly side first», and the violent structural change in itself induces negative growth. The countries are burdened with past debts to the environment, to foreign countries, to society itself, and to the people Factors contributing to positive economic development include, among others, low labour costs, more effective participation in the international division of labour, and a strong motivation to improve the standards of living in the new market-based economies. The West has adopted a positive attitude to the East-European developments, although the instability also evokes anxiety. The West protects its own interest, too, by improving its preparedness for cooperation and aid in Europe, where the present and the future increasingly depend on the ability to manage things together.