ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book sketches the critical features of the starting conditions by highlighting the specificities of transformation and goes on by discussing the relation between the disruption of the old system, economic transformation, and entrepreneurship. It overviews the features of youth unemployment and the labour market in Central and Eastern Europe, compares them to the situation typical in mature market economies, and stresses the importance of youth entrepreneurship and small business in Central and Eastern Europe. The book argues that there is a 'huge potential for improving the rates of entrepreneurship in the region by providing opportunities for youth to participate actively in entrepreneurial activities'. It highlights the peculiar trajectory of the Polish transformation both before and after 1989, which was relatively similar to the Hungarian one.
