ABSTRACT
The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are four of the most successful postcommunist countries. Situated in Central Europe between Germany and the former Soviet Union, they emerged, in 1989, from more than 40 years of authoritarian rule and command economy. In the following 16 years, they have been able to reform their political and economic systems to such a degree that they are now members of elite economic and political clubs such as the European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Their economies have been on a rapid growth path during the last decade, albeit one interrupted by an occasional crisis or a slowdown. As such, they present a fascinating topic of study for a variety of social scientists.
