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Introduction:

After World War II the contradictions between Soviet Union and the USA and the other western allies became very clear; soviet socialism contra capitalism, finally developing into the so-called Cold War. This period lasted until 1989 when the economy in the eastern block broke down, and the Berlin Wall was over run. The former Soviet block dissolved in Russia and various Central Asia and East European countries.&nbsp;

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During the Cold War Eastern Europe became a part of a multinational plan economy under the leadership of the Soviet Union. Five-year plans organized the production, the prizes and consumption patterns. The means of production, factories, farms etc., were owned and directed by the state bureaucracy. Gradually a structure with a division of the production emerged and made the different &ldquo;national&rdquo; states dependent on each other because of the centrally planned and centrally managed economic structure. The activities of the states were run by the respective communist parties, which had a centralistic decision structures. There were no real civic society, no free market, no public pluralistic sphere with open and free discussions and no presence of active and changing social and political movements.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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This structure of dependency of a central body and no tradition of initiatives and demands from the people to the rulers became a crucial left over from the former Soviet block period. When Soviet Union collapsed, the West took over and implemented the economical Shock Therapy to generate an abrupt change, political and economical, to the new, western dominated, realities. This therapy with its tough, complex consequences for people and societies are is still discussed, like a lack of stable political and civic institutions and the comprehensive privatization of the public sector and comprehensive access for foreign investors. Most of the east European countries have chosen a parliamentary democratic system similar to Western Europe, and they have joined the EU and the NATO. Belarus and most of the Central Asian countries have turned into various kinds of dictatorships. Ukraine has difficulties in deciding its political course.

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This transformation process has not just been easy for the countries. They cannot rely on former experiences. The countries do not have an active and effective civic society. People in general have no experiences with a representative democracy, where changes in the ones with the ruling power can happen, and though the society just carries on. There have been discussions, sometimes difficulties in establishing the right separation between the legislative, executive and judicial institutions in some countries, discussions about what freedom of speech and freedom of the press implies etc. In some countries it has been an effort to keep up the participation from the people in general, also during elections. People observe a political system that do not deliver results or do not seem independent from business interests or maybe influence from big foreign creditors or the EU, or is maybe exposed to corruption.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

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The open market has economically meant that there has been quite an amount of foreign money and foreign dominance in the businesses. At the moment with the financial crisis with a massive unemployment in most countries in East Europe, maybe except Poland, this has generated different kinds of protests, demonstrations, or like in Hungary, strong right wing, nationalistic parties and movements. This generates political and social turbulence that can be used by politicians to take more power and privileges than a traditional democratic system would allow. Hungary could again be an example of this.

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All the former East European countries have had a transformation process with difficulties. The countries are though very different and the process has been different in the different countries. The financial crisis has had some consequences. Hungary has been used as an example of a mistrusting population generating right wing politicians and movements. Poland, Estonia, Slovenia are examples of countries functioning relatively well, and like Hungary they are member states in the EU. These countries could be the first East European countries who will &ldquo;keep up&rdquo; with the &ldquo;old&rdquo; Europe during time, and thus eradicate a sometime expressed attitude of East European countries to be European nations on second class.

Directive:

The aim and the product of the task are related both to the title, the introduction and the directives.

Read the introduction and the related issues and make clear the overall aim.

Relevant files are added. There are many different files added; pick and choose from them according to your aim with the task. Use additional sources if you find it beneficial. The origin of additional sources must be noted for control.

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Product:

1. Make a presentation for your team about the issue, aiming towards having a general broad 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;knowledge&nbsp;about the recent history of this part of Europe.

&nbsp; &nbsp; The presentation can be done individually or in small groups.

2. Write 2 pages with your answers and arguments including the listed issues. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Title: the Title of the task.</li>
</ul>

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Related issues to include in the product:

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What did the Iron Curtain separate, its position and the countries connected on each side? Compare with other &ldquo;Iron curtain&rdquo; divisions other places in the world.

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What was the political situation for the East European countries at the time of the fall of the Soviet Union, a transition from a centralized, one-party rule to a western kind of parliamentary system? What could be the obstacles in establishing a parliamentary democracy in countries without democratic experiences and structures?

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What was the economical situation for Eastern Europe relating to the transition from a soviet dominated plan economy to a market dominated capitalistic economy? What was the main difference, and what were the issues in establishing the necessary institutions to realize it?

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What have been the arguments from the East European countries not to stay independent and non-aligned for a while, but go for membership in both EU and NATO? What has been the reaction from present Russia towards this?

5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How has Western Europe, states and companies, influenced the development in the former East European countries, through partnerships, interventions, investments etc.?

6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Why has the recent history of the Balkan states been different from the history of the other East European states?

7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How much is the development from being part of the Soviet Union to being part of the European Union carried out by the wish and energy from the different populations in the countries? What other interests have been in play?

8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How is the position of the different East European countries within the EU today, what are the main discussions/issues? How will it likely develop? 
 
 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Files:

F1. &nbsp;The Failure of Neoliberal Transition Policies in Eastern Europe Post-1989,&nbsp;By Michael Koenig on October 16, 2012 
 
F2.&nbsp;Transition in eastern europe, from IDEA by&nbsp;Dr Pavol Deme&scaron;, Director for Central and Eastern Europe, German Marshall Fund of the United States 
 
F3.&nbsp;Twenty-Years-of-Western-Democracy-Assistance-in-Central-and-Eastern-Europe-PDF,&nbsp; from IDEA by&nbsp;Dr Pavol Deme&scaron;, Director for Central and Eastern Europe, German Marshall Fund of the United States 
 
F4.&nbsp;Transition Economies-liberalview&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;from Library of Economics&nbsp;and Liberty, by&nbsp;Transition Economies by Anders &Aring;slund 
 
F5.&nbsp;Transition economies,&nbsp;file: ///Users/erlinggroenlund/Desktop/Contemporary%20Europe%20tasks/11%20Eastern%20Europe%202/file-Transition%20economies.webarchive S 
 
F6.&nbsp;The neoliberalism-shock therapy connection_ Naomi Kleins The Shock Doctrine 
 
F7.&nbsp;Neoliberal Shock Therapy Kills in Russia and Eastern Europe - Progress or Collapse,&nbsp;March 26, 2012 by rydyvy&nbsp; 
 
F8.&nbsp;Eastern Europe in Transition (for inspiration),&nbsp;&nbsp;Oldrich Kyn in: The Transition to a Market Economy , Tarmo Haavisto ed. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK; Brooksfield, US 
 
F9. &nbsp;Civil society east europe, by Joerg Forbrig, European University Institute 
 
F9. &nbsp;Living standards continue steep fall in Eastern Europe 
 
F10.&nbsp;Democracy_Index_2010 
 
F11.&nbsp;Democracy-easterneurope-retreat 
 
F12.&nbsp;Income Inequality and the Transition from Socialism to Capitalism Empirical Evidence 
 
F13.&nbsp;The free markets social catastrophe 
 
F14.&nbsp;Europe and Central Asia - Transition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is Over, For Some 
 
F15.&nbsp;Public opinion in eastern Europe The glow fades 
 
F16.&nbsp;Confidence in Democracy and Capitalism Wanes in Former Soviet Union 
 
F17.&nbsp;The reality of capitalism is inequality 
 
F18.&nbsp;Uneven progress political transition in Europe and Central Asia  Europe &amp; Central Asia  UNDP

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