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This paper aims at the comprehension of feasible development trajectories conceptualized within the new path-development model in the case of two less developed regions in Central Europe (CE). The main new element of this paper comprises the examination of the perception of key barriers and mechanisms hindering particular evolutionary trajectories by regional stakeholders and their comparison with those conceptualized in the literature. Although conceptual characteristics of prevailing path types in different regional innovation systems do exist, empirical verification from less developed regions such as those in CE is insufficient. On the basis of interviews with regional stakeholders, a typology of barriers for pathways conceptualized to date was elaborated from a CE perspective. Our study showed that the feasibility of a more radical path is hindered by a wide range of barriers operating at different levels. The elaborated typology of barriers for various path-development trajectories outlined the main hindrances constraining key regional actors, linkages and institutions. Given the general weakness of the overall RIS, path-extension and path-modernization trajectories are bound to be the most realistic options for this type of less developed regions. Our study revealed existing regional dynamics as built predominately upon incremental changes within rooted but prospective industrial branches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the nexus between political instability and economic growth in 10 CEE countries in transition in the period 1990-2009. Our results support the contention that political instability defined as a propensity for government change had a negative impact on growth. On the other hand, there was no causality in the opposite direction. A sensitivity analysis based on the application of a few hundred different variants of the initial econometric model confirmed the abovementioned findings only in the case where major government changes were applied to the definition of political instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of retirement savings and private pension funds increased in the latest decades and gathered important amounts of capitals. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the macroeconomic effects of pension systems from an investment perspective in five Central and Eastern European countries. The analyzing process regarding several underlying macroeconomic effects of pension systems started from the premises that there is a strong connection between the structure of pension systems, the national economy and the development of the financial sector. The econometric tests were processed and applied by using pool data regression models and the method Pooled Instrumental Variables (IV) - Two-stage Least Squares (2SLS). The main conclusion highlights that the interest rate at deposits is correlated with the amount of incomes earned by population, inflation rate, severe material deprivation rate and the investment strategy of private pension funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, intense processes of industrial reconversion occurred in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Adopting a territorial perspective, the aim of this paper is to assess the impact of industrial restructuring on the economic growth of CEE regions, classified according to the typology of the industrial reconversion that occurred. Results point out that those areas able to reconvert their productive specialization to both new sectors and higher value functions achieved the best economic performance. These findings provide interesting insights on the past mechanisms of growth in CEE countries and they convey relevant policy implications for their future industrial strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we analyze the effectiveness of fiscal policy—for a group of four Central and Eastern European countries. The recent literature shows that fiscal multipliers in the developed economies are higher during recession than expansion. So far, similar empirical analyses have been lacking for CEE countries. The results presented in this article show that fiscal multipliers in CEE countries differ with respect to the phase of the business cycle. Based on the SVAR methodology in which we allow for deterministic regime switching, we show that the government spending multipliers are significantly higher when the output gap is negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we evaluate what we have learned to date about the effects of privatization from the experiences during the last fifteen to twenty years in the postcommunist (transition) economies and, where relevant, China. We distinguish separately the impact of privatization on efficiency, profitability, revenues, and other indicators and distinguish between studies on the basis of their econometric methodology in order to focus attention on more credible results. The effect of privatization is mostly positive in Central Europe, but quantitatively smaller than that to foreign owners and greater in the later than earlier transition period. In the Commonwealth of Independent States, privatization to foreign owners yields a positive or insignificant effect while privatization to domestic owners generates a negative or insignificant effect. The available papers on China find diverse results, with the effect of nonstate ownership on total factor productivity being mostly positive but sometimes insignificant or negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collapse of the former Soviet Union and the subsequent transition process has transformed the political, social and economic landscape in central and eastern Europe, the Balkans and Russia. Reforms of the existing regulatory and institutional framework have created the basis for continued economic expansion. The resulting rising incomes of households have become one of the main drivers for prosperous banking markets. To benefit from this positive trend, many banks have opted for an expansion into mortgage lending. The objective of this paper is therefore to analyse how these countries have managed to convert the positive economic development into better housing for their citizens (including the access to mortgage credit). The paper sets out the criteria which are considered essential for the development of primary mortgage markets and compares these with mortgage market development, starting with an outline of the situation before the beginning of the transition process, including an analysis of what has enabled the emergence of the mortgage markets and finishing by an overview of the present situation. The paper concludes with an assessment of the progress made since the start of the transition process, thereby providing an outlook for the further development of mortgage markets, in particular in view of the current turbulence in the international financial markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this discussion paper is to examine the relevance of selected influential theoretical and conceptual approaches to regional competitiveness for specific geographical and institutional contexts of Central European (CE) regions. We argue that strategic documents and policies (both nation- and region-wide) in CE countries are based on un-critical applications of a few popular concepts of competitiveness that were originally proposed and mainly applied in Western European and US regions. Existing empirical evidence documents a strong role of exogenous factors of competitiveness in CE regions, the in-house character of firm innovations and weak demand for innovations, and other impediments of R&D collaboration. We suggest that these (and other factors) limit the applicability of concepts such as regional innovation systems and Porterian clusters in the context of many CE regions. On the other hand, we argue that some other concepts such as the global production networks perspective or related variety and economic complexity can provide some relevant and inspiring frameworks for analysing regional competitiveness in CE countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange rate unexpected fluctuations determine economic development of countries the way quite similar to any other type of exogenous shocks. Unpredicted volatility in exchange rate short-run path affects macroeconomic performance the way that may be a subject of academic as well as economic policy discussions. Overall exposure of countries to negative implications of exchange rate volatility represents one of the areas of empirical investigations related to fixed versus flexible exchange rate dilemma. Rigorous analysis of various aspects of exchange rate fluctuations in terms of macroeconomic performance causal effects is considered to be a crucial outcome of not only exchange rate determining potential but also key information for exchange rate policy or policy decisions related to exchange rate regime shifts. In the paper we analyze macroeconomic aspects of the real exchange rate volatility in the Central European countries. VAR (vector autoregression) methodology is implemented to estimate effects of the real exchange rate fluctuations on the selected main macroeconomic indicators variability. Structural exogenous shocks are identified by applying the Cholesky decomposition of variance-covariance matrix of the reduced-form VAR residuals. Variance decomposition and impulse-response functions of selected endogenous variables to positive one standard deviation real exchange rate shock are computed for two models covering time series for two periods - 2000-2007 (model A) and 2000-2011 (model B) to determine the role of economic crises on presented results (changes in the exchange rate determining potential during the crisis period are expected to be revealed). Ordering of the endogenous variables in both models is also considered to check the robustness of the empirical results of the estimated econometric model in the selected group of countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic integration can be defined as the expansion of markets from the national to the regional or to the world level. Therefore, two channels of market integration can be determined: regional integration, for instance, within the EU, and globalization. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the economic integration process on differences in income among and within Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). The hypotheses on 1) the economic integration relevance and 2) the mechanisms through economic integration affecting income inequality are tested with data on 10 CEECs (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania) for the 2000-2006 period. An unbalanced panel induces to estimate Randomeffects regressions and fixed-effects regressions. The results show that globalization contributed significantly to income inequality among CEECs as well as to the upward trend in income inequality within the societies of these countries, while regional integration with and within the EU did not explain considerably the changes in income distribution over the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transformations in Business & Economics is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Firm-level data sets on foreign manufacturing plants in four Central and Eastern European Countries are used in this paper, to trace their location and estimate the determinants of their choice processes. A nested logit model as developed by McFadden (1974) is used in the analysis. A central focus of the analysis is foreign direct investment (FDI) which is a good indicator of where location of foreign investments is made. Several reasons explain the need for mapping the location of FDI. First of all, it facilitates understanding the real competitiveness of regions and countries in providing location advantages able to complement multi-national enterprises’ (MNE) specific advantages. Secondly, it directly shows the distribution of the benefits usually associated with FDI. Finally, an understanding of FDI location decisions is important for policy makers who believe that MNEs may offer a positive contribution to the economic development of disadvantaged areas and thus correct potential regional imbalances. The main results show that sector specific factors affect the choice of the final location. These unobserved characteristics influence both the determinants and the structure of MNEs location choice process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to explore how selected fast-moving consumer goods markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have developed since the opening of CEE and what market structures have emerged since then. Particular attention is paid to the role of Western multinational corporations (MNCs) as drivers of globalization in this market-reshaping process. Design/methodology/approach — Based on household panel data the dissemination of international brands is analyzed in four product categories and four countries of the region. In addition, the question of whether the level of economic development of countries or the product character has an impact on the penetration levels of international brand is examined. Findings — The outcomes of this retrospective study furnish evidence for the globalization of fast-moving consumer goods markets in CEE. Although the level of diffusion of international brands varies by product category and country, the strong influence of Western MNCs in the shaping of market structures can be documented. The findings also mirror the predominantly-employed marketing and brand strategies of foreign MNCs in CEE, namely internationally-integrated as well as multi-tier brand strategies. Research limitations/implications — The data provides only a snapshot of the situation in selected consumer goods markets in the region. In order to obtain a fuller picture of the extent of market globalization, the market share of international brands should be complemented by additional data on purchase and usage behavior. Originality/value — The paper contributes to the current discussion of the market globalization thesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently the marketization thesis which holds that the commodified realm is stretching its tentacles ever wider and deeper across the globe has been challenged in the context of Western economies and the third world by an emerging post-development corpus of thought. The aim of this paper is to extend this critique of the powerful narrative of marketization by turning attention to Eastern and Central Europe. Interrogating the nature of work and trajectories of economic development in these post-socialist societies, it unravels not just the continuing presence of a multiplicity of non-market economic practices but also evidence of diverse development paths being pursued. The outcome of this re-representation of the nature and direction of economic development in Eastern and Central Europe is a call to transcend the view that ‘there is no alternative to capitalism’ and for debates about the future of work to become more open to the evaluation of alternative possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been accorded a central role in the post-communist economic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe. This paper examines the regional effects of FDI in Central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) in the 1990s. It challenges uncritical views of FDI and its role in regional economic transformations by considering its potentially adverse effects for regional economic development, such as the intensification of uneven development, the development of a dual economy, failure to develop linkages with local and regional economies, and its contribution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the impact of economic convergence and of structural breaks like the global financial crisis on insurance development? We employ a dynamic panel data GMM framework on a sample of eight Central- and Eastern European countries in the period between 1994 and 2014. Particular emphasis is on the relationship between economic growth and growth of life and non-life insurance during the transition period. A variety of enabling environment indicators influences insurance growth, and we find considerable differences between the life and non-life insurance market. In addition, we identify an insurance convergence effect that is significant before the 2008/2009 financial crisis. We investigate how these dependencies changed in the aftermath of the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Annals-XXI / Ekonomìčnij Časopis-XXI is the property of Institute of Society Transformation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aimof this paper is to assess the role of human capital in attracting fdi in the light of selected empirical studies conducted in Poland and globally. The literature on factors determining fdi location, including those relating to the importance of human capital, is dominated with studies at national or supranational level. Attracting foreign investment has become a key component of national strategies for the cee countries. The paper makes an attempt to assess the relevance of human capital for fdi inflow at regional and local levels in Poland. At the same time, results of analyses were contrasted with quantitative surveys conducted in Central and Eastern Europe. Investing in education and human capital is important for creating good climate for investment. Evidence shows that achieving a certainminimumlevel of education is the precondition for a country to attract andmaintain foreign direct investment andmaximise indirect effects connected with human capital and resulting from the presence of businesses with foreign capital and maximise indirect effects connected with human capital and resulting from the presence of businesses with foreign capital. We should also stress that such aminimum is different for different sectors of the economy. Results of the study conducted in the Lodz Region demonstrated that human capital is an important factor, which attracts fdi to the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unemployment is a negative phenomenon that manifests itself in any economy with varying degrees of intensity. In this paper we propose to analyze the evolution of unemployment in the EU. There are countries where economic recession was felt more intense and harder recovered from it, such as Greece or Spain. Within the European Union one notes some differences in unemployment between Member States but also in terms of age groups. In the EU youth unemployment rate is approximately double that the general unemployment rate, but the situation is worse in some countries where youth unemployment rate is even higher. Our analysis also focuses on trends recorded at regional level in Central and Eastern Europe countries in the context of their accession to the EU, highlighting positive developments, which were maintained in the coming years. The unemployment rate decrease is one of the objectives followed by the EU through its policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we examine the larger context of China's "going out" approach and its policy towards CEE-16. We analyze also the distribution, structure and trends of the Chinese ODI in five CEE countries, correlated with its investment projects, motivations and constraints. In the final part of the paper we bring to the forefront Romania as a destination for Chinese ODI, providing an analysis of the Chinese investment evolution, their specific features, weaknesses, accomplishments and prospects of further development. The structure of our research is determined by its four main objectives: to generate an overview of the Chinese ODI, to underscore the new cooperation framework between China and CEE-16, to analyze the Chinese ODI in CEE-5 and appraise the untapped potential of its relationship with Romania. Consequently, the paper is structured in four main sections, preceded by an introduction and concluding with a review of the main results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the new economy in Eastern and Central Europe involves a complexity of economic and social processes. The sectoral structures and territorial location of the industry and the higher education show significant inequalities. Capital city concentration, low level of research orientation and insufficient linkages with industries are the most important barriers to the development of higher education and reindustrialization. The regional and cohesion policies need strong relations between economic restructuring and higher education development. The paper focuses on demonstrating the regional differences in these fields and proposes the development of environmental industry and a disciplinary reform in the university training and R&D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although old, the debate on whether government's intervention in economic activities can stimulate economic growth once again rose within the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. They have passed a harsh transition process, pressed on by the intention to join the EU, which involved accelerating the degree of economic freedom and fostering growth, respectively. Despite meaningful progresses, these countries have still a lot left to do in order to strengthen a solid legal system that is able to guarantee a liberal economic system, protected from political influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of Central and Eastern countries in European Union assumes obtaining certain benefits. Upon joining the European Union internal market and free movement of labour, absorption of European funds could help the convergence go on and reduce disparities between countries. This study aims to provide insights in regionalization, absorption of European funds and economic growth. There are various ways of defining the regional growth. The most common refer to the increase of the total output of a region, output increase per employed person, output increase per capita. In turn, the output can be assessed by the gross production of a region, the region's gross domestic product or net domestic product of that region. The paper proposes an integrated analysis of European situation by means of data and statistics provided by European and national statistics institutions. A better absorption of European funds can lead to growth and economic development and thus reduce regional economic disparities. One of the main objectives should be the absorption as much financial support as possible by continuous efforts from the Central and Eastern European Countries and also regional and local government involved in every stage of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose – Since the turn of the millennium, a small corpus of post-structuralist thought has emerged that challenges the dominant belief that capitalism is now hegemonic and that all economic formations are contrasting varieties of capitalism. This paper seeks to contribute to the development of this emergent perspective. The aim is to challenge the notion that the Ukrainian economy can be represented as some variety of capitalism by highlighting the shallow permeation of capitalist practices into daily life and the continuing prevalence of multifarious non-capitalist economic practices. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve this, evidence is here reported from a 2005-6 survey that analysed the extent to which 600 households in Ukraine used capitalist and non-capitalist economic practices in their coping tactics. Findings – This reveals not only the limited use of capitalist practices in the everyday coping tactics of households in Ukraine but also how an array of non-capitalist economic practices remain heavily relied on by a majority of households to secure their livelihood. The outcome is a call to tentatively reject the "varieties of capitalism" system of meaning because of what it excludes, prohibits and denies, and to open up the future of post-Soviet Ukraine to other possible trajectories than simply some variety of capitalism. Research limitations/implications – This snapshot survey of the everyday coping practices of households displays only that capitalist practices are not hegemonic and that multifarious economic relations persist and are widespread. It does not show whether or not there is movement towards greater reliance on capitalist practices. Originality/value – It begins through the presentation of evidence on Ukraine to tentatively challenge the application of a "varieties of capitalism" perspective towards Central and Eastern European economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current economic crisis constitutes an important test for the European Union as a whole and its new member states in particular. Whereas EU membership of the Central European countries is generally considered to mark the end of their period of economic and political transition, the current economic hardships might serve as a crucial test for this proposition. This paper takes two often forgotten theoretical paradigms to study the current developments in Central Europe: dependency theory and World System Theory. More in particular, the paper seeks to establish the relevance of the concept of the semi-periphery to the current Central European states. It concludes that the region has retained its historical position as Europe's semi-periphery, where the hierarchy between the centre and the periphery is primarily shaped through the involvement of transnational corporations that have their headquarters in Western Europe with subsidiaries in Central Europe. This has had important repercussions for economic development in this region, as the countries have no control over the commending heights of their economy, a development of which the consequences are now becoming increasingly clear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Business: Theory & Practice is the property of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this paper is to conduct a growth accounting exercise for twentyseven transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The analysis is divided into two parts. In part one we discuss the most salient features of these countries' growth paths between 1990 and 2003. The objective of the second part is to establish what proportion of the real GDP growth resulted from increased inputs of labor and capital and what was the contribution to growth of increased productivity of these factors (TFP). Our analysis has shown that changes in TFP were the most important driving force behind the GDP growth in former socialist countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International financial integration of transition countries from the region of Central, Eastern and South- Eastern Europe suggests an interesting example of the relation between the overall macroeconomic performance and the changes in the height as well as the structure of the cross-border capital inflows and outflows. Structural changes, high economic growth and dynamic convergence toward the Western European countries stimulated the pressures on the domestic capital base of the transition countries. Current account and international investment position deficits that many of the European transition countries have experienced till the present days emphasize their role on the foreign markets as net debtors. In the paper we examine main trends in the international financial integration of the selected European transition economies (Bulgaria, the Czech republic, Romania and the Slovak republic). At the same time we explore the essential features of the financial deepening of the selected group of the countries. The objective is to identify the country specific aspects in the international financial integration and financial deepening as well as the potential linkage between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Socialiniai Tyrimai is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper compares the returns to education in transitional economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic and the Ukraine in the 1990s, and in China in the 1980s and 1990s. In the pre-transition period, the returns to education in the six CEE countries were low at about 2-4%, while those in China were even lower at less than 2%. As the process of transition towards a market economy evolved over time, the returns to education steadily increased, and non-state sector workers and young workers were rewarded with higher returns to their education than their counterparts in the state sector and older age categories. The marginal returns to university education are the highest of all of the marginal returns to various education levels. Moreover, the results show that it took about a decade for the six CEE countries, and two decades for China, to raise their respective returns to education to the 10% level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the impact of new capital accumulation on capital-labor and capital-output ratios in 26 transition economies (TE) of Central and Eastern Europe and former USSR. Using a perpetual inventory method, we estimate the amount of capital accumulated in these countries since the start of market reforms and compare it to results for developed countries and largest emerging market economies. We found that on per worker basis, capital accumulation in TE is lagging far behind that of their mature market neighbors in European Union. Disparities in capital-output ratios were not as pronounced, as higher capital-labor ratios were reached in economies with higher levels of GDP per capita. Regression analysis indicates that capital per worker was accumulated faster in TE having higher saving rates, relatively higher priced labor, closer proximity to Western Europe, and higher manufacturing share in the economy. The K/Y levels were influenced by the same determinants except for relative input costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between economic development and defence has always been the subject of significant literature in the economic environment. The present study examines the impact of defence spending on economic growth from a global perspective for 2009-2016. It takes into consideration the economic size and status of each country in the current geopolitical context. The SMD model and linear regression are used to investigate the economic development-defence connection by using the SIPRI data set for 12 Central European countries. Numerous regression analysis examine the data using different estimated econometric formulas with maximum probability. The empirical results show that in the long run, the linear relationship between defence spending and economic development is sustained only in some cases with positive effects on GDP. The results are unfavourable in most of the analysed countries, defence spending having significant negative effects on economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the agenda for the socio-economic reconstruction of Central and Eastern Europe. Faced with the contradictions between the promises and results of current policies, a group of scholars from Eastern and Western Europe met under the auspices of the Academy of Sciences in Vienna in October 1991 to discuss the main issues of the evolving transformation process on the basis of more than a dozen specially prepared papers. The result was the critical assessment of the current transformation strategy, as well as an Agenda of topics for discussion which seem to have been overlooked. The guiding principle of this Agenda is its concern for socio-economic reconstruction and growth of output, employment, and welfare. This objective requires conscious action by individuals, collective actors, and public authorities. These actions should be stimulated and coordinated by a socio-economic context in which the pursuit of individual interest adds both to individual and to social welfare. Such a context is made up of market forces supported by appropriate institutions (including forms of property and contracts) and guided by appropriate policies. They cannot, however, be ends in themselves.

Amazement and surprise were the common reactions of Western political scientists to the fall of communism; they did not foresee, nor could they explain, the collapse of the regime. This paper argues that the reason why Western political scientists could not foretell the fall of the communist system was their overcommitment to artificial models of society and their lack of concern with economics. Western political science, especially, overlooked how the concept of privatizing the economy affected the devolution of the communist order, in contrast, I examine the question of the "sudden revolution" in the historical context and in the context of the privatization of the economy. The privatization of the economy, or rather, the specific ways privatization is conducted, is the main factor that explains the "peaceful collapse" puzzle and the newly emerging tensions as well. The paper consists of two parts. In the first part, "Trismus," I argue against the picture of Central Europe painted by Western political scientists. The question "Why did the communist order, a regime that defended itself stubbornly for a long time, at last collapse peacefully?" concludes the first part and opens the second, "Transformation." The point "Nomenklatura Chrysalis" is crucial for solving the puzzle of the "sudden" and peaceful fall of communism. In the conclusion, I refer to the current, and probably future, economic and political tensions that are likely to emerge in countries undergoing ownership transformations. Eventually this involves me in Fukuyama's proposition of the "end of history." Amazement and surprise were the common reactions of Western political scientists to the fall of communism; they did not foresee, nor could they explain, the collapse of the regime. This paper argues that the reason why Western political scientists could not foretell the fall of the communist system was their overcommitment to artificial models of society and their lack of concern with economics.... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of democracy in the communist countries, which generated profound social and economic transformation, was accompanied by a decline in fertility. We attempt to provide an overall survey on fertility since 1989 in ten Central and Eastern European Countries, members of the European Union, and to identify the variables which explain the fertility decline. We will use univariate and multivariate statistical analysis to identify disparities between the ten countries, and the variables which explain these differences. Also, we developed a panel econometric model to confirm the hypothesis of a similar pattern of evolution for fertility in these countries and that the decline in fertility can be explained both through demographic and economic variables. The decline in fertility can be explained by economic growth, marriage, divorce, abortion, and migration. The empirical evidence presented in this paper supports the view that the decline in fertility over the 1989s represents the continuation of a longstanding trend of the previous period, according to the demographic transition theory, but its speed and magnitude has been influenced by the new social and economic landscape. These results can be useful for public authorities of the CEE countries to rethinking demographic policies and to ensure the sustainability of demographic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shopping centers play an important role in improving the quality of life in town and city centers around the world. Often seen as drivers of local economies, shopping centers are necessary to maintain economic growth and a sense of community, offering employment, and providing a better quality of life. In last decades in all capital cities and large cities in Central and Southeastern Europe numerous shopping centers were open and therefore the situation at retail market and traditional supply chains changed rapidly. The aim of this paper is to provide key data related to shopping center industry in Central and Southeastern European countries and to analyze the structure of retail offers, opportunities for investors, retailers and consumers at given markets. Comparative analysis of secondary data will give an insight into the current state of shopping center development and discuss the problems related to future retail development in Southeastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Return migration might be a key factor for development in sending regions, especially in East Central Europe. In 2004, the enlargement of the European Union affected a mass labour migration from post-socialist countries towards Western European regions. Among rules of the Union this East-West migration has become more than brain-drain, beside high-skilled migrants, lower skilled ones also leave their country of origin. This paper focused on common characteristics of migrants from East Central European countries. During research I have used results of an online survey among migrants and made interviews with returned Hungarian migrants. Though sending countries make efforts towards re-attracting migrants, without stable macro-factors their return might be uncertain. According to my results, though each country has its own profile, in some cases, especially Hungarian and Polish migrants have common characteristics in terms of motivation of emigration and type of work abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current economic and financial crisis has had a strong influence on stock market performances in the process of financing the economic activities. This paper aims to analyze the dynamic of the stock market in Central and Eastern Europe under the impact of the macroeconomic imbalances, emphasizing the volatility of the foreign capital inflows. The data selected for the study will be used to test the impact of stock market development on the correlation between foreign capital inflows and economic growth. The result will allow comparisons between the macroeconomic performances and identifying the adequate measures through which national capital market can become more attractive for investors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

EU governments - like other governments in the world - have had to live together with fundamental changes and continuities in the economic, political, social and cultural environment of governance and public administration. This paper will raise three main questions: - What are the fundamental, long-term changes in the economic and socio-political environment of the governments? - What challenges have been emerged for the governments? - What are the core requirements of the governmental responses? Do we need to think about new models for public administration? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents two subregional examples of Silesian voivodeship transition that depict learning or knowledgeable regions as driving forces for urban economic resilience. It mentions that Silesian voivodeship is a region that possesses some features of a learning region. It offers a conviction about the specific interrelation betweenlearning regions and economic urban resilience.

The purpose of the present study is to empirically investigate the effect of economic growth on employment in EU countries, between 2000 and 2010. The main findings of the paper suggest the existence of a low employment elasticity of economic growth in EU, but this has significant differences from one country to another. This fact highlights that one of the main problems of the European countries (especially those in the Eastern and Central EU) is their small capacity to generate employment under the conditions of the existence of an economic growth process. Taking into consideration that only the process of economic growth, which generates new jobs, is the one that assures the conditions for economic and human development it is highly important to act in order to increase the employment intensity of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the influence of exchange rate policies on the economic recovery of ten countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) which are the new members of the European Union. It discusses the role of the loose monetary policy in advancing the economic problem of the region as well as the impact of the global financial crisis on the area. The function of the post-crisis corrections in the account deficits in CEE countries in steadying economic growth is discussed.