Romanian Economics After the fall of Communism
... Politically, the timing and nature of the Romanian revolution meant that the new government had a mandate to initiate a transition to a market economy only if this did not involve social cost as society had no more to give. ... Under communism, Romania never had a real period of political or economic liberalization. ... By this time the Romanian citizens grew tired of the mistreatment under Ceausescu’s regime which led to supply and labor shortages, starvation for many, and a decrease in productivity. ... The poor performance of the Romanian economy since 1990 is largely a legacy of the Ceausescu regime, but has been worsened by the manner in which the commitment to gradual structural reform has been implemented. ... Overall, the conditions of the Romanian economy in certain sectors such as small commercial, construction, and niche agriculture markets have improved.