Valerie Bunce, professor of International Studies and Government at Cornell University, is an expert on international relations and conflict in Eastern Europe and former Soviet states. As the 25th anniversary of the dismantling of the Berlin Wall approaches, Bunce says that there are mixed reviews for emerging democracies in that region.
Bunce says:
“The fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago transformed the world. Both the Cold War and the communist experiment in Europe came to an end. Soon thereafter the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia dissolved and 22 new states took their place. Finally, many countries in the former communist world, both old and new, launched bold experiments in building democracy and capitalism from scratch. While all these developments were surprising at the time, just as surprising is what has transpired in the wake of these events.
“The good news is that the 22 new states that came into being by 1993 have survived, and the number of democracies in the region has increased over time. Today, 12 formerly communist regimes are now members of both the European Union and NATO, and the agreement that ended the war in Yugoslavia in 1995 has produced a durable peace.
“There is bad news as well, especially with respect to the two largest countries in post-communist Europe: Russia and Ukraine. President Putin has dismantled democracy in Russia, annexed Ukrainian territory, and provided support for secessionist groups in Ukraine. At the same time, while the Ukrainian government has lost control over its borders, it also faces extraordinary economic challenges.”
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