State Owned Enterprises As Object Of Transition And Structural Reforms In Cee: Theoretical Basis Of A Necessary Retrospective Analysis

At the beginning of the 9th decade, Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries were in a dilemma of epic proportions. Although the policy option was taken, the problems of transition just appeared for policy makers, scholars, as considerable challenge about the models and the way to be applied. Thus, Central and Eastern European countries became an immense laboratory for testing the theories of transition, as well as a place of political struggle, and results were highly contradictory. After more than two decades after that period, we found a clear dominance of neoclassical models, and an obvious passing – by of relevant points of view supported by the Austrian school. While the neoclassic focused on state's involvement in reforms, establishing new economy institutions, the Austrian school said that not the pace of reform is important but the order of actions and the establishment of property rights itself. For Romania, even if the reason and option of privatization were clear, we can say that unconditioned embrace of the neoclassical model in a developing economy rather than an economy in transition may be an explanation of the inconclusive, painful and often frustrating results of privatization and reform in Romania.