ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how the changes in Soviet ideology have influenced Soviet policy and behavior in Europe. The most dramatic change was the gradual relinquishment of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe. A Pan-European Security System was seen as a means to soften the political blow of such an event by effectively absorbing both alliances into a single system. In new thinking, even more fundamental than the concept of the illegitimacy of Soviet hegemony over Eastern Europe has been the concept of the "common European home." Certainly the most significant idea to evolve from the concept of the common European home has been that of replacing the bipolar alliance system with a pan-European security system. Finally, the notion of the common European home has been extended beyond security concerns to address an array of normative issues. The Soviets have also enthusiastically embraced the idea of a "European legal space.".
