This text reflects upon the ten years since the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe and looks at what lies ahead for the future. It addresses issues such as liberal democracy and its enemies; modernity and discontent; economic reforms and their social impact; and geopolitics.



The tenth anniversary of the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe is the basis for this text which reflects upon the past ten years and what lies ahead for the future. An international group of academics and public intellectuals, including former dissidents and active politicians, engage in an exchange on the antecedents, causes, contexts, meanings and legacies of the 1989 revolutions. The contributors address various issues including liberal democracy and its enemies; modernity and discontent; economic reforms and their social impact; ethnicity; nationalism and religion; geopolitics; electoral systems and political power; European integration; and the demise of Yugoslavia.