The Political Economy of Transition in Central and Eastern Europe: The Light(s) at the End of the Tunnel

This work seeks to make an empirically informed contribution to the debate about transition opportunities and constraints of post-communist states. Its comparative perspectives reflects a broad understanding of transition economics and politics. Six case studies provide empirical information on the practicalities of implementing transition economics and politics in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, Romania and Latvia. The range of topics covers telecommunications privatization, the transfer of management know-how, restructuring of banking sectors, language policies in multi-ethnic states, and the freedom of press. These subject areas provide different examples of transition in practice, together illustrating the opportunities and constraints of transformation process in Central and Eastern Europe.