Most of them did eventually (usually after a period of significant decline lasting from 1990 until somewhere between 1995 and 2005). Countries like Serbia or Ukraine are still below 1989 levels.
Poland has this narrative that it is among the most successful post-soviet states, and sure, it is. It still had up to 20% unemployment (not even including the people who didn't even look for work anymore) until the mid 2000s, a crime wave, sustained emigration, widening rural-urban divides and the like.
Also, the Socdems (still with the reputation of being "the communists") got 41% in the 2001 election, compared to 13% of the second placed party. The SLD of the time turned out to be ruled by a bunch of neoliberal technocrats like Marek Belka who had no interest in reversing the reforms of the 90s. Meaning, they got owned by the fash in the 2005 election, who (after a stint in power by the libs in the early 2010s) are currently ruling the country.
Lassiez-Faire policies have led to stagnation in the country, and growth was usually fueled by people sending money from jobs in the west, or like more recently, returning and building shitty suburbs. It's most poles' dream to have a house with a garage, garden and isolated from the rest of society, so they build cookie cutter houses on the outskirts of towns, or where there's fuck all en masse.
Economic activity is there, I suppose. Making cheap light industry goods for western buyers (so that the German doesn't need to buy German made products, because Polish ones are cheaper) and a fuckton of transportation companies.
It's a country where people are taught to hate and distrust one another. After all, what's a stranger other than someone who wants to take advantage of you? It's not surprised the brainworms there are extra strong. Though I suppose the fear of "handouts" has lessened a bit more recently with PiS' natalism bucks and other social programs fitting the traditionalist worldview.
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Most of them did eventually (usually after a period of significant decline lasting from 1990 until somewhere between 1995 and 2005). Countries like Serbia or Ukraine are still below 1989 levels.
Poland has this narrative that it is among the most successful post-soviet states, and sure, it is. It still had up to 20% unemployment (not even including the people who didn't even look for work anymore) until the mid 2000s, a crime wave, sustained emigration, widening rural-urban divides and the like.
Also, the Socdems (still with the reputation of being "the communists") got 41% in the 2001 election, compared to 13% of the second placed party. The SLD of the time turned out to be ruled by a bunch of neoliberal technocrats like Marek Belka who had no interest in reversing the reforms of the 90s. Meaning, they got owned by the fash in the 2005 election, who (after a stint in power by the libs in the early 2010s) are currently ruling the country.
Lassiez-Faire policies have led to stagnation in the country, and growth was usually fueled by people sending money from jobs in the west, or like more recently, returning and building shitty suburbs. It's most poles' dream to have a house with a garage, garden and isolated from the rest of society, so they build cookie cutter houses on the outskirts of towns, or where there's fuck all en masse.
Economic activity is there, I suppose. Making cheap light industry goods for western buyers (so that the German doesn't need to buy German made products, because Polish ones are cheaper) and a fuckton of transportation companies.
It's a country where people are taught to hate and distrust one another. After all, what's a stranger other than someone who wants to take advantage of you? It's not surprised the brainworms there are extra strong. Though I suppose the fear of "handouts" has lessened a bit more recently with PiS' natalism bucks and other social programs fitting the traditionalist worldview.