The Political Economy of Independent Ukraine

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Introduction

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 1-7

3. Independence: Euphoria and Disillusionment

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 8-22

4. Politics, State and Bureaucracy

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 23-48

5. Economic Reform

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 49-73

6. Structural Change in the Economy I: Sectoral Analysis

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 74-99

7. Structural Change in the Economy II: The Micro-level

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 100-109

8. Opening Towards the World Economy?

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 110-135

9. Regional Economies

   • Hans van Zon

   Pages 136-148

10. Social Change: Economic Implications

    • Hans van Zon

    Pages 149-168

11. Path Dependency and Development Prospects

    • Hans van Zon

    Pages 169-192

12. Back Matter

    Pages 193-236

    PDF

The Political Economy of Independent Ukraine analyses the reasons for the abysmal economic performance of Ukraine during the 1990s. The main thesis is that economic development was blocked by a set of parasitic mechanisms at all levels of the economy that prevented the development of value-added economic activities. These parasitic mechanisms already developed under Soviet rule ('beating the system' by redistributing goods and services while disregarding formal rules) became a widespread practice.

• economic development
• political economy
• structural change

• Central and Eastern European Studies, University of Sunderland, UK

  Hans Zon

HANS VAN ZON is Professor of Central and Eastern European Studies in the University of Sunderland. Among others he has worked as an advisor and research coordinator for the Commission of the European Union in Brussels and has been attached to the University of Amsterdam. His publications include Alternative Scenarios for Central Europe (1994), and The Future of Industry in Central and Eastern Europe (1996).

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