CIS, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, Europe, growth, income inequality, Poland, Post-communist transition and development issues, poverty, CASE Reports, Russia, CASE Network Studies and Analyses, transition

Post-Adaptation Growth Recovery in Poland and Russia - Similarities and Differences

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the sources, economic and social characteristics, of growth recovery, which followed the first period of output decline in two transition countries – Poland and Russia. They represent two different groups of transition countries (new EU member states vs. CIS) in terms of adopted transition strategy and accomplished results. Generally, fast reformers succeeded and slow reformers experienced a lot of troubles. Although eventually all former communist countries entered the path of economic growth, those which moved slowly lost sometimes the whole decade. Social costs of slow reforms were also dramatic: income degradation and rising inequalities, high level of poverty and corruption, various social and institutional distortions and pathologies, violation of human rights and civil and economic liberties, attempts of authoritarian restoration, etc.