What can countries embarking on post-socialist transformation learn from the experiences so far?

• Authors: Kornai J.
• Languages of publication: HU

Abstracts

EN

The article, prepared at the request of an American university institute specializing in Cuban studies, asks what Cuba can learn from the Eastern European transformation when it eventually takes the post-communist path. The author broadens this into the enquiry outlined in the title. There is no universal prescription. The order and speed of tasks and specific methods employed depend on the country's specific situation. It would be a mistake to follow mechanically the path of any other country. However, there are common features in the approach to preparing the transformation programme. The strong political charge in any essential change must not be forgotten. It is illusory to expect tasks to be purely professional and 'politics-free'. The ethical aspects of the changes planned have to be conscientiously considered. The study analyses the experiences with representative democracy, creation of a state of law, privatization, price reform and liberalization, and reform of the welfare state. Finally, something is said about the responsibility of foreign advisers and norms of behaviour applicable to them.

Keywords

EN

DEMOCRACY; LIBERALIZATION; MARKET ECONOMY; PRIVATIZATION; TRANSFORMATION (POST-SOCIALIST)

Discipline

• ECONOMICS: ECONOMICS

• Publisher: Committee for Economic Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Kozgazdasagi Szemle (Economic Review)
• Year: 2004
• Volume: 51
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 899-923
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Kornai J.

• J. Kornai, address not given, contact the journal editor

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

06HUAAAA00661652