Socialist economies in Eastern Europe have collapsed and em- barked upon
market-oriented reforms. The causes of the demise of centrally planned
economies are analyzed and the basic challenges of systemic
tranformation discussed. Negative income and wealth effects as well as
distribution issues make adjustment extremely difficult. The fundamental
roles of privatization and foreign investment are adressed. Foreign
economic liberalization is considered to be of centralimportance for a
growth-oriented adjustment path in a stage of conflict-prone policy and
options. Politico-economic aspects of the new European developments in
addition to North-South issues are analyzed. Difficult choices await
decison-makers in economic policy and the business community in Eastern
Europe and in leading market economies.