The Post-Communism: Toward a Global Assessment [Postcomunismul: spre o evaluare globala]

This paper proposes an insight into the recent history of post-communist societies of Central and Eastern Europe, with the benchmark on the "great transformation" in the revolutionary year 1989. Starting from an attempt to define "post-communism", in relation to the communist project and projections on what was to follow, we analyze the impact of the communist regime on dual process - economic and political - of the post-communist transition and finish with an overall assessment of the transition from communism to capitalism that balances the initial expectations and actual results. From expectations to actual results will follow a long road to economic restructuring and reforms in all spheres of social life accompanied by tensions and social conflicts and political convulsions. The uniformity of the communist society will be replaced by a strong social fragmentation. Civil society will crystallized over time and will evolve from the role of the political opponent and critic of the politics toward the role of the partner of politics. Rising living standards will be achieved gradually, although many social segments will remain economically disadvantaged, and even outside the social protection system.