Transformation, integration, and then?

The author carries out systematic research on economic transformations of the Southern Macro-region in the context of transformation, privatisation and restructuring processes. The processes in question overlapped simultaneous preparations for the integration with the western world structures. Taking the fragility of a newly shaped social matter and generation of a new unprecedented reality into consideration and remembering there are substantial differences between actual socio-economic reality in the countries to be discussed and the western world leaders' commitments to co-create the processes, the author takes the position of a careful observer of the new reality who will not only provide documentation but also raise some problems or voice some contradictions he notices. The author's observations are formulated on the basis of the analysis of the complete set of business entities that participated (at any time between 1960 to 2003) and still participate in the export trade generated in the analysed region. Ongoing processes result in more and more concerns and doubts because of consequences of the free market mechanisms that when not adjusted by the state are likely to generate further (new) discrepancies instead of a gradual closure of the cultural gap anticipated by people who trusted the leaders of the west.