English • Español • Français • Русский • عربي • 中文

Regional Focus: Eastern Europe and Eurasia

Building Democracy and Sustainability

Jaroslav Romanchuk Director of the Analytical Center “Strategy,” Belarus

“Why democratization and why economic and business reforms? A political constitution is not enough to come up with democracy in a country. We have to build institutions. Local people should be actively involved in grassroots discussion, the dialog, and generating ideas.”

The Challenges of Post-Communist Transition

Andrew Wilson Regional Director, Eurasia
Center for International Private Enterprise

“Eurasia is such a large and relatively diverse area that it’s hard to make sweeping generalizations, but it’s safe to say that democracy is on the retreat throughout the region, and that concepts of what a market economy is are being challenged.”

The former communist countries in Eastern Europe and Eurasia vary greatly in their progress in implementing democratic and market-oriented reforms. While Romania and Bulgaria today are members of the European Union, the Balkan states are still struggling to resolve ethnic tensions and solidify reforms, Russia and former Soviet republics in Central Asia exhibit significant democratic backsliding, and Belarus remains Europe’s last dictatorship. Even countries where broad transition reforms have happened and free elections take place face the challenge of making their democracies and economies more representative, inclusive, and responsive. Consequently, maintaining the path toward the adoption of democratic values and market-based economies across the region is not an easy task.

Widespread acceptance of corruption, government control and interference in the economy, and weak understanding of basic democratic and economic principles remain key problems in many countries in the region. The needed reform focus should be on increased involvement from civil society in the decision-making process in order to deepen the democratic progress and make the voices of various stakeholders heard. Sustained attention must also be given to institutionalizing the rule of law, transparency, and accountability in both public and private sectors.