Session 6: Transition to a post-communist society - Unity

With the downfall of communism almost 30 new states emerged, struggling with a structural change. Democratization was preferred by most states but the problems were different for others, thus, it is important to note how these new countries dealt with the transition before examining the extent to which they have eliminated the communist elements.

In areas where national sovereignty was easy to establish due to common linguistic,regional and cultural factors such as in western Ukraine and Poland , the transition to democracy and a market economy was fairly smooth. Where as there was a divide in other areas such as eastern Ukraine,central Asia  and Belarus that were characterized by diversity. In these countries, apart from establishing a political structure there were other areas of focus such as mobilizing the mass to achieve a mutual political and economical goal.

In these countries without a civic society ready to contribute towards and sacrifice for the newly established state, it was strenuous to institute a polity and run the new countries triumphantly. Without common identity, a collective ideology and with a divergence in opinions and beliefs they could not establish a consensus which was necessary for a transition. This is a reason why countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia were able to make a successful transition to democracy and capitalism where as others such as Albania and Ukraine still have some communist elements present; they manifest both democratic and non-democratic attributes. The quote below by Rafik Hariri lays emphasis on the importance of solidarity and national unity for democracy.

We don't think that we are in a quarrel with anybody. We may have a difference of opinion, but we'll not allow such differences of opinion to grow into a problem that stands in the way of reconstructing the country and regaining the democratic path.