Preventing a new East-West Divide: The Economics and Social imperatives of the future Europe

Издательство: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, Baden-Baden

Организация: Institute for European and International Studies, Luxembourg

ISBN: 3-7890-2520-8

This book and conference that preceded it deal with one of the most urgent and vital topics of present-day Europe. Whether Europe will, after the dramatic changes and the turmoil in the East, take the road of stability depends to a large extent on the economic development of Central and Eastern Europe in the coming months and years. The greatest problem is the discrepancy between the expectations of the people who have no practical knowledge of the market economy and real perspectives of development for the foreseeable future. The lack of comprehension of the requirements and possibilities during the crucial transition period may breed impatience, dissatisfaction and frustration in growing parts or the population. Such an evolution could have a disastrous impact on the nascent political culture.

The conference and the book address a number of the most important economic and social problems in the different Central and East European counties and offer some ideas of how to cure them. Our ambition has not been to give definite answers, not even really satisfactory ones; the book rather constitutes a first honest assessment. It reflects diversity of situations, of sensitivities and beliefs, and it also proves that in the end there is sufficient common ground for devising approaches and solutions.

This book is intended as a kind of preliminary report; we want to pursue the analysis and reflection with experts who have contributed to this publication and others from Eastern and Western Europe, thereby building on the ideas and findings contained in the present work.