Increasingly Fond Memories of a Grim Past

David S. Mason, Butler University
Antal Orkeny
Svetlana Sidorenko-Stephenson

Abstract

The economic and political transitions in post-communist Europe have been a resounding success in many respects. Democratic processes and institutions have consolidated with unexpected speed, and market economies have emerged rapidly. Economists point to resumed economic growth (after years of stagnation or decline), rapid expansion of the private sector, and the ready availability of consumer goods. Politicians and political scientists are heartened by the growth of multiparty politics, the orderly electoral and parliamentary processes, and the emergence of a lively free press.