GRAND TRANSFORMATION 1989 - 20029. CONDITIONS AND CONSTRAINTS, PATH FOR THE FUTURE (Wielka Transformacja 1989-2009. Uwarunkowania, przebieg, przyszlosc)

Over 1.8 billion people - from Central Europe to East Asia - have been involved in lasting already a generation great systemic transformation to market economy, civic society and democracy. The process has evolved both, by chance and by design, and has brought mixed fruits. Diversification of the current situation is a result of legacy form the past and the strategies and policies executed in particular countries over subsequent periods. In turn, these polices have been based on different assumptions and followed advised of alternative school of economic thought. Hence there are theoretical lessons as well as policy implications form these vast experience. The article, written from the comparative perspective and exercising counterfactual history analyses of the multi-track process of great post-Communist change during last two decades, provides some forecast and propositions for the next generation. (JEL classification: A11, E6, F02, F43, H11, I38, N1, O17)