CRCE Symposium
Inhibited transition- Reasons
and Remedies
We shall review progress in New
Europe after fifteen years of transition to market economies & identify inhibitors to
increase in productivity & value-added.
Saturday 25th September: Arrivals
1900: Welcome Drinks & Dinner
with Laudatio for Sir Anthony Fisher to be given by Alejandro Chafuen,
President, Atlas Economic Research Foundation.
Sunday 26th September:
9.30-12.30: 1989-2004 15 years of
Transition – The End or Never-ending Story?
The aim is to provide a cross-country
analysis of transition results in the last fifteen years and discuss the future
prospects
Discussion leader: John
Moore
Papers by: Vladimir Benacek & Alena Zemplinerova
Questions to be addressed:
Does EU accession signify the end of
transition? Is the Sozialmarktwirtschaft with
extensive welfare state a role model for transition countries, enabling them to
achieve the nominal and real convergence? Is there a desired end state of
transition? To what extent have the neo-classical type reforms concentrating on
macroeconomic stabilisation caused the return of socialists to power in most
CEE countries? Could “old
1300-1430:
Lunch
1500-1800: Security and defence
policies in transition economies
Discussion leader: Sebestyen Gorka. Comment: John O'Sullivan
Papers by: Andrej
Miholič
Bernard Brscic
Question to be addressed:
Analysis of the security trends in
the region. To what extent have NATO and EU enlargement contributed to the
pacification of the region and its neighbourhood. How should the governments of
transition countries finance the defence budgets given the obsolescence and
incompatibility of arms to NATO standards? Does NATO provide security free
riding for small countries? Are
organisations as NATO and WEU capable to take the challenge of terrorism and
organised crime which is increasing replace classical warfare as a most serious
security threat?
Monday 27th September
0900-1230: Entrepreneurship, Technology & Innovation – the Magic
Wands?
Discussion leader: Alejandro A. Chafuen
Paper by: Marko Kos
Rado Pezdir
Question to be addressed:
Fostering entrepreneurship,
technology and innovation is vital if transition economies are to achieve real
convergence with the developed countries.
What role should the government play in promoting this? Should it include pro-active policies
(increased government spending on R & D, establishment of special agencies,
subsidies, soft loans, preferential tax treatment etc…) or should it be
strictly limited to providing a business friendly environment? What lessons can
be learned from some success stories?
1300-1430: Lunch
1500-18 00: Transition,
Institutional Change and Economic Development
The aim is to discuss the interplay
between formal and informal institutions and their impact on economic
performance.
Discussion leader: Bernard
Brščič.
Comment: Silvana Malle
Papers
by: Steve Pejovich: The Uneven Results
of Institutional Changes in Central and
Question to be addressed:
Is the transplant of capitalist
formal institutions sufficient condition for a functioning capitalist economy?
Can the prevailing collectivist morality in CEE countries be changed by fiat or
one months should wait for endogenous and spontaneous
changes? Is there a tension between democracy on one hand and stability of property
rights and the rule of law on the other?
Tuesday 28th
September
0930: Excursion to: