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A special historical analysis: Europe’s 35-year journey since the fall of the Berlin Wall

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A special historical analysis: Europe’s 35-year journey since the fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, triggering huge political and economic change; the question now is whether the gains can be safeguarded

Bruegel,

5 min read
3 take-aways
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Despite its progress since the collapse of the Iron Curtain, Europe’s fate now hangs in the balance. 

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Editorial Rating

9

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Recommendation

Since 1989, the world has seen the fall of autocracies in Eastern Europe and the rise of globalization, as former centrally planned economies transitioned to capitalism. Yet the present state of affairs would suggest that an uncertain future looms, as growing protectionism and populism threaten democracy. Scholar and former statesman Marek Dabrowski looks into why some of the former Soviet states and satellite countries have fared better than others. Dabrowski warns against a reversion to autocracy and protectionism that could undo the gains made.

Summary

Eastern Europe endured economic decline and political oppression in the years prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Prior to the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the Soviet regime, Eastern Europe existed in a repressive surveillance state that seeped into every aspect of people’s lives. State-owned enterprises and central planning led to perverse outcomes in the form of constant shortages and economic stagnation, at a cost to humanity and the environment. The lack of basic freedoms and proscriptions on foreign travel worsened an already sclerotic politics.

Several factors came to a head in Eastern Europe in the 1980s, all of which contributed to its downfall: the region’s faltering economic systems; its failure to achieve military...

About the Author

Marek Dabrowski is a non-resident scholar at Bruegel. He was First Deputy Minister of Finance of Poland (1989-1990) and a former member of Poland’s Parliament.

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