ABSTRACT
Although it is relatively clear what has happened in Eastern and Central Europe, it is neither easy nor wise to make predictions about what might occur in the foreseeable future or in what direction these countries may be headed. What are the opportunities for democracy in these countries? Can the pluralist explosion and the postsocialist pluralism be placed within the framework of democracy? Can political systems other than democracy be expected in these countries? An up-to-date review of the issue may juxtapose two similar sets of circumstances: first, the known difficulties encountered by closed, mainly authoritarian and totalitarian systems in their transition to democracy in Latin American countries; and second, the problems and authoritarian tendencies now manifest in the former socialist countries of East-Central Europe.
