The Macroeconomics of Transition

How successful has the transition to market economies proved in East-Central Europe? The decision by the East European countries to move to market economies was accompanied by much hypothesising and expounding of economic theories. However, now that the initial euphoria has passed it is time for a rational assessment of this transition and the success of those theories in practice. Since the more economically advanced countries are situated in East Central Europe, Jan Winiecki and Andrzej Kondratowicz have focused their study on Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and (former) Yugoslavia. The authors present a systematic account of macroeconomic developments and institutional changes. They assess progress, dealing with the determinants of output, macro policies, wage, price and employment issues and the external balance.