Seminar I: Political Aspects of Post-Communist Transformation

        Union League, Philadelphia, January 19-20, 2006

The Project’s inaugural seminar will assessed post-1989 democratization progress in the ten most rapidly transforming countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Czech and Slovak Republics, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia) and analyzed the reasons for their sharply differing levels of attainment. While it is clear that the economic, cultural, sociological, and cross-border influences on the CEE transitions are all strongly intertwined with the political factors, the main focus of this first seminar will be on the internal political dynamics. The economic and other factors mentioned above will receive in-depth attention in future seminars, since our overall goals are:

• To develop a thoroughly integrated multi-disciplinary analysis of the first 15 years of transition experience, and

• To extract key lessons that will enable policy-makers and practitioners to promote reforms more effectively throughout post-communist Europe and Eurasia

Conference Agenda

14:00 – 14:30              Registration and coffee (FPRI, 1528 Walnut St., Suite 610)

14:30 – 14:40              Welcoming Remarks, Harvey Sicherman, President, FPRI

14:40 – 15:30              Review of goals and projected work plan for the Project;

                                    discussion of the role of Steering Group in January 20 Political Seminar and the longer term development of the

                                              Ambassador Adrian A. Basora, Project Director

15:30 – 17:00              Self-introductions of Steering Group members and staff;

                                   Questions and comments on overall Project goals, methodology and timetable

Transfer to the Union League of Philadelphia

140 South Broad Street 

18:00-1900                 Reception (Library)

19:00                          Dinner (Library)

09:15 – 10:00              Registration and Coffee (Lincoln Memorial Room)

10:00 – 10:10              Welcoming remarks, Harvey Sicherman, FPRI President

10:10 – 10:30              Goals and work plan for the day, Adrian Basora, Project Director

10:30 – 11:30              Presentation and discussion of principal seminar paper

        Valerie Bunce, Chairman, Department of Government, Cornell University

11:30 – 11:45              Break

11:45 – 12:30              Brief  presentation and discussion of the Hungarian transformation  

                                            Bela Greskovits, Professor of Political Economy, Central European University

12:30 – 13:15             Lunch (Library Lounge)

13:15 – 14:00             Brief presentation/discussion of the Romanian transformation (Lincoln Memorial)

        Dr. Vladimir Tismaneanu, Director, Center for the Study of Post-Communist Transitions, University of Maryland

14:00 – 14:45              Comments on patterns in the Slovak, Czech, Polish, Bulgarian and Georgian transformations in the light of earlier discussions

14:45 – 15:00              Break

15:00 – 16:00              Final comments and summation of main points of consensus and disagreement emerging from the day’s discussions

                                         Dr. Sicherman, Dr. Bunce, Amb. Basora

16:00 – 16:30              Discussion of next stages of the Project, and of plans for follow-up to the Political Seminar

                                        Amb. Basora