ELEVEN POST-SOCIALIST STATES THIRTY YEARS BEYOND: SOCIETY AND SECURITY

Abstract More than three decades after the collapse of socialism in Europe, relatively enough time has passed for analysis the effects of the transition of socialist states. The post- socialist states that are analyzed and compared are members of the European Union. The process of joining has imposed the acceptance of the acquis whose contractual provisions significantly limited the freedom to create one's own political economy. The article analyzes the effects of institutional changes on society and Man in eleven states: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The effects of institutional changes are analyzed through three dimensions: safety and security, social capital and living conditions. Results of institutional changes are valuated according to realize their position on the scale of prosperity for the period from 2007 to 2023. Given that the issue of prosperity is primarily focused towards Man and society, the key indicator for assessing the outcome of the transition is the number of inhabitants each state thirty years beyond. The finding shows that only three states increased their number of inhabitants in the observed period. The finding points to large differences in social outcomes within the same political paradigm. Institutions make a difference. Key words: Man, society, prosperity, institution, state.