New Europe 2007. Report on Transformation
Please download PDF files of the Report:
• Authors
• Foreword
• A Word From The Publisher
• Economic Forum in Krynica
• Chapter I - Executive Summary
• Chapter II - Political Situation And Democratic Reforms In Central And Eastern Europe
• Chapter III - The Economic Situation and the Progress of Market Reforms
• Chapter IV - Country Analyses
• Chapter V - International Cooperation And Integration With The European Union Of Central And Central-Eastern European Countries
• Chapter VI - Special Study: Russian Federation. Fight for Power on the Eve of Presidential Elections in 2008
• Contents
The aim of this Report is to assess progress in the process of transformation and economic integration in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in 2006 and the first half of 2007. The analysis covers 28 countries from the region of Central Europe, South-eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
A common feature of these countries is that, before 1989, they formed a part of the eastern bloc of totalitarian communist states, and in 1989-1991 they started the process of fundamental transformation of their systems, with the purpose of building democratic states and competitive market economies in the conditions of integration with the world economy.
The whole region demonstrated a very high rate of economic growth in 2006. In Central and South-eastern Europe it was stimulated by rapidly-increasing national and foreign demand and the inflow of structural and aid funds from the European Union. The good situation on the oil and raw materials markets was the main driving force behind growth in the countries of the former Soviet Union. In spite of the economic success, the region as a whole experienced political tensions that varied in degree between individual countries. The tensions and political conflicts in the first group of countries were solved within the scope of democratic mechanisms, while in the countries of the second group they often led to solutions that restricted democracy and caused further centralization of state authority.
The Report has been prepared by independent experts representing various research and development centres:
• Department of Political Economy, Warsaw School of Economics
• Department of European Integration, Warsaw School of Economics
• Department of Economics II, Warsaw School of Economics
• Institute of Political Science, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Centre for Current Politics in Russia (Moscow)
The Report was initiated and is supported by the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies, but it contains the personal views of the authors and does not represent the opinions of any institution, either public or private. The authors hope that the Report will contribute to a better understanding of the processes of systemic transformation in the region’s countries, and that it will become, as previous Reports, a useful basis for discussion on the directions of further development of the countries in our region.
The Report was presented 5th September at the 17th Economic Forum:
Persons who are interested in receiving the Report please contact: forum@isw.org.pl