This book analyzes the effects of the break-up of the Soviet Union into fifteen independent states. Topics discussed include:
* past and present economic relations between the republics, and forecasts for the future
* discussion of Customs Unions, Monetary Union or Payments Union as possible ways forward for these states
* economic integration theory
* how the states of the Soviet Union functioned before the dissolution.

The disintegration of Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 marked the beginning of what was hailed both East and West as a period of tranformation to liberal democracy. Yet in the years that have followed, the peoples of the vast region have found themselves dealing with new tensions, insecurities and the chaos of the new order. This wide ranging study comprises of case studies drawn from various countries of the former socialist world. Centring around the theme of survival strategies developed in response to changing cultural, political and economic structures, the...

An examination of political, social and economic development in Poland since the summer of 1989, with the main focus on democratization.

Poland's transition from socialism to capitalism has largely been praised as a success story. In reality, however, according to this study, Poland's case is an 'incomplete' transition.
Looking at the processes involved in economic transition, covering key issues including financial markets, labour markets, competition and intervention, social security, property rights and attitudes towards the changing political economy, this book provides a wide-ranging and invaluable study of economic development. It will be of great use to economists, those involved in Russian and East European...

This text provides an analysis of democratization in Poland by placing the Solidarity movement in the context of the major democratic upheavals of modernity; the French and American Revolutions. Departing from case studies of Solidarity that treat the movement in isolation, this study undertakes an historical comparison of the Polish movement with the ideals and institutions of democracy achieved in the last three centuries. Arista Maria Cirtautas explains that the institutionalization of a strong democracy in Poland will ultimately depend upon whether the similarities to the great tradition...

This book addresses the policy questions surrounding the challenge of transforming eastern European economies from their planned, administrative past to vibrant market-based entities.
Jozef van Brabant considers in turn, the wider set of challenges facing these economies - stabilization, privatization, liberalization, institution building, and developing and maintaining the sociopolitical consensus - before examining the evolving role of the state.
Using concrete examples from the eastern European countries throughout, including the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, this work...

Ukraine: State and Nation Building explores the transformation of Soviet Ukraine into an independent state and examines the new elites and their role in the state building process, as well as other attributes of the modern nation-state such as borders, symbols, myths and national histories. Extensive primary sources and interviews with leading members of Ukranian elites, show that state building is an integral part of the transition process and cannot be divorced from democratization and the establishment of a market economy.

In this edition, the progress made in the 1990s to solve the environmental problems described in the first edition of this book is assessed. Attempts to bring environmental legislation into line with West European norms are explored and the book also looks at air and water pollution, modern farming, water supplies, waste management and landscape protection. These topics are placed within economic, social and political profiles, as spending on a clean environment must be reconciled with welfare spending and the safeguarding of jobs. European Union assistance, civil society and the work of...

In recent years, the issue of animal disease has seldom been out of the headlines. The emergence of BSE and the threat of food-bourne infections such as E-coli and salmonella have focussed public attention on the impact of animal disease upon human society. However, the problem of animal disease is far from new. This text explores the history and nature of our dependency upon other animals and the implications of this for human and animal health. Writing from an historical and sociological perspective, Joanna Swabe's work discussses such issues as: animal domestication; the consequences of...

Focusing especially on the 1970s and 1980s in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, this work provides an overview of reforms in socialist agrarian systems. Empirical evidence is used by the contributors to provide an assessment of how agrarian economies performed in different communist countries. The Soviet and Eastern European experience is contrasted with reforms in China, Vietnam and Cuba to provide a detailed account of agricultural restructuring after the collapse of communism in Europe and Asia.