Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v20i1.1102
Varieties of Capitalism, Neoliberal Expansions and Social Effects in the Baltic Countries, Slovenia and Croatia: A Comparative Approach
Josip Lučev
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb
Zdenko Babić
; Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb
Abstract
Europe turned to the markets on two levels in the past 40 years. The first is a global »migratory technology« of neoliberalism that has been developing since the 1970-s. The second is the transition in Central and Eastern Europe in the last twenty years. Is it possible to identify alternative development paths and models inside the common market orientation and market economy trends in Europe? The authors first examine the phenomenon of neo-liberalism and deal with the extent to which the neoliberal reforms were implemented in five selected countries: Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and Croatia. The authors use two compatible conceptual frameworks: public policy diffusion and Varieties of Capitalism (VoC), and complement this approach with political elements, including early transition developments. In recent years, VoC literature often referred to Slovenia (CME) and Estonia (LME) as two functional extremes in Central and Eastern Europe. Comparing the relevant indices, the authors confirm this view. Lithuania is found to be close to Estonia at the liberal market economy end of the spectrum, while Croatia is akin to Slovenia as a coordinated market economy. Latvia has been confirmed as inconsistently profiled. Ultimately, the authors investigate social effects of diverging paths to transition, implemented reforms and alternative models of capitalism in selected countries.
Keywords
post-socialist countries; Varieties of Capitalism; neo-liberalism; the social effects of market-oriented reforms
Hrčak ID:
100480
URI
Publication date:
15.4.2013.
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