BOFIT 25th Anniversary Conference examines evolutionary paths of Russia and other post-communist systems

The first keynote address, delivered by Professor Gerárd Roland (University of California, Berkeley) discussed the evolution of post-communist economies towards democratic market economies. The transition in Central and Eastern Europe began when their increasingly complex economies had become impossible to centrally operate. This translated to a gradual shift in power, especially to corporate bosses. As the old system lost its grip, the process accelerated. The change of system resulted in an increase in corruption and strengthening of unholy alliances of political and economic forces in many of these countries. For some, this problem continues to this day and partly explains their poor economic performances during the 1990s and thereafter. In some of the countries, however, strong civil society helped push back against these forces. In addition, institutional development was much stronger in those countries of Central and Eastern Europe that joined the EU in the 2000s. The perspective of EU membership encouraged many countries to make substantial reforms, especially prior to accession.

The conference programme and links to presentations are available here.