Reckoning with the Past in Eastern Europe: An International Approach

Abstract

Reckoning with the past is always one of the most difficult tasks for transitional political elites and societies after the overthrow of the previous regime. Due to its many dimensions, it is a process highly interwoven with many aspects of public and private life, and the choices made have long-run repercussions in the future with respect to political competition, economic performance and social conscience. The number of variables to count with seems infinite; the historical legitimacy and the repressiveness of the previous regime, the nature of the change of regime, the bargaining position of the opposition elite, the political competition during transition, the geopolitical position, the international climate, just to mention some of the most important.