Social Market Economy as a model of political, social and economic reforms for states in the process of system changes, especially in the Eastern European region

Abstract

The social Market Economy model functioning in the Federal Republic
of Germany is a valuable source of inspiration for numerous states that want
to reform their political, social and economic systems. It also constitutes an
interesting ‘object’ of research and analyses. The Social Market Economy
was initially introduced in the western occupation zones and after the German
reunification in 1990 it was extended into the territory of the former
German Democratic Republic and, to some extent, it constituted a point of
reference for the reforms in the Central European states. The article tries to
answer the question to what extent the German experience with the Social
Market Economy may be useful for the states undergoing the process of
system change, especially in the Eastern European region.