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Capitalism after communism: The triumph of neoliberalism, nationalist reaction and waiting for the leftist wave

Author

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  • Piotr Å»uk

    (University of Wrocław, Poland)

  • Jan Toporowski

    (SOAS University of London, UK)

Abstract

Was neoliberal capitalism the only possible development path in Eastern Europe after the collapse of real socialism? How did the restoration of capitalism in the former Eastern bloc affect the economic and political situation in the world? Is the support of workers and lower classes for right-wing populists that has been observed in Eastern Europe for the past 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall a permanent phenomenon? By asking these questions, the authors point out that the offensive of the far right began in Europe before the 2015 migration crisis and the 2008 financial crisis, and that it coincided with the weakening of leftist workers’ parties. This process began in the 1990s after the collapse of the Eastern bloc. What can stop this process and change the situation? The solution is to show that another model is still possible: greater egalitarianism, democracy and the rule of law. This sociopolitical alternative, however, must simultaneously oppose two powerful forces: neoliberal capitalism and nationalist populism. JEL Codes: B50, P30, P34, P36

Suggested Citation

  • Piotr Å»uk & Jan Toporowski, 2020. "Capitalism after communism: The triumph of neoliberalism, nationalist reaction and waiting for the leftist wave," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 31(2), pages 158-171, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:31:y:2020:i:2:p:158-171
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304620911121
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Piotr Żuk & Paweł Żuk, 2018. "Offshoring, labour migration and neo-liberalisation: nationalist responses and alternatives in Eastern Europe," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 29(1), pages 97-117, March.
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    6. Danielle Wood & John Daley & Carmela Chivers, 2018. "Australia Demonstrates the Rise of Populism is About More than Economics," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 51(3), pages 399-410, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Paweł Żuk & Piotr Żuk, 2022. "The precariat pandemic: Exploitation overshadowed by COVID-19 and workers’ strategies in Poland," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 33(1), pages 200-223, March.
    2. Żuk, Piotr & Buzogány, Aron & Mišík, Matúš & Osička, Jan & Szulecki, Kacper, 2023. "Semi-peripheries in the world-system? The Visegrad group countries in the geopolitical order of energy and raw materials after the war in Ukraine," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    3. Piotr Żuk & Paweł Żuk, 2021. "Increasing Energy Prices as a Stimulus for Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energies: Ownership Structure, Company Size and Energy Policy in Companies in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Piotr Żuk & Paweł Żuk, 2021. "On the Socio-Cultural Determinants of Polish Entrepreneurs’ Attitudes towards the Development of Renewable Energy: Business, Climate Skepticism Ideology and Climate Change," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Jerzy Osiatyński, 2020. "TINA and alternative strategies for Polish economic transformation," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 31(2), pages 249-261, June.
    6. Piotr Zuk & Pawel Zuk, 2022. "Prosumers in Action: The Analysis of Social Determinants of Photovoltaic Development and Prosumer Strategies in Poland," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(4), pages 294-306, July.
    7. Żuk, Piotr & Żuk, Paweł & Pluciński, Przemysław, 2021. "Coal basin in Upper Silesia and energy transition in Poland in the context of pandemic: The socio-political diversity of preferences in energy and environmental policy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    8. Piotr Żuk & Anna Pacześniak, 2020. "Sustainable Development, Energy Transition, and Climate Challenges in the Context of Gender: The Framework of Gender Determinants of Environmental Orientation in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-16, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Class; democracy; Eastern Europe; nationalism; neoliberalism; populism; socialism; transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B50 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - General
    • P30 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - General
    • P34 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Finance
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

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