The Continuity of Expecting Discontinuities (original) (raw)

The paper examines the concept of normality in post-1989 Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, considering the social and political forces that shape perceptions of a return to stability after the fall of communism. It critiques conventional views of political evolution as linear and addresses the lasting legacies of state socialism that complicate transitions to democracy and capitalism. By highlighting the complexities of these transitions, the work explores the difficulties in establishing a coherent political identity amid influences from the past and aspirations for a Western-style future.