Regional development in Central and Eastern Europe: the role of inherited structures, external forces and local initiatives

Abstract

This paper tries to explain regional development in Eastern and Central Europe. A simple West European bias can lead to false interpretations of current spatial processes. The spatial structuring forces in the communist period created a divergent mosaic of regions with different prospects for future development. This differentiated 'spatial outcome' of communism should be taken as point of departure for the new, post-communist era. The interrelativeness of econornical, legal and political reforms after the break-down of communism should be kept in mind. Seven influence groups, on different levels of scale, should be distinguished to understand regional development: the political context, international organisations, macroeconomic reforms, foreign investors, local initiatives, regional policy and geographical location. Together with the inhcrited structures, this leads to a spatial differentiation which is different from the one prevailing in the communisl era.