Article

 

Why national trajectories of post-socialist transformation differ ? (p.47-65)

by

Bernard Chavance, GERME, Université Paris 7 and CEMI, EHESS

Keywords : transition doctrine, evolutionary theories, transition surprises, formal and informal rules, convergence vs diversity

JEL classification : B2, H0, N0, P5

Abstract

The paper tries to assess the answers to the great challenge of post-socialism, by concentrating on the transition doctrine and on the institutionalist and evolutionary views. « Economics of transition » were a kind of convergence theory, that was soon criticised by institutionalist and evolutionary theories. The latter have appeared more accurate confronted to the real and complex experience of transformation in various countries. Consequently a qualified transition doctrine was developed in the second half of the 1990. Evolutionary and institutionalist theories have however insufficiently analysed two related problems in the process of systemic change: real discontinuities in various configurations of rules (the "revolutionary" dimension of transformation) and the path-shaping consequences of futurity for various actors, faced with a unique systemic uncertainty, especially in the early period. The paper considers the problem of diversity vs convergence in transformation theories. The country differences have been strongly influenced by national features of the process of organisational, institutional and systemic change. The basis of variety in the national trajectories of post-socialist transformation lies in the enduring national character of the state, of the polity with its underlying social relations and compromises, and of the legislation (formal institutional rules). Legitimacy remains principally formed and sustained - or questioned - on the national level. Even though the 1990s have been a decade of intensive « globalisation », and the role of external forces has been great indeed on the new emerging capitalisms of the region, the development of the latter has retained a fundamentally national basis.