ABSTRACT
One of the recurring themes of this volume is that an expected rebirth of social democracy in east-central Europe after the fall of communist rule failed to take place. It has been recorded above, also, that the political space into which such reborn social-democratic parties would insert themselves remains, at least to a certain extent, occupied by reformed communist parties, themselves claiming a rebirth. These circumstances have external repercussions, foremost among them the question of the attitude that western European social-democratic parties, and the Socialist International itself, should take towards each of these sets of parties.
