We are waiting nearly 20 years in Hungary for a recovery from economic crisis and hope to see the "end of the tunnel." So far neither austerity measures imposed as a reflex by the economic policy nor structural reforms – market reforms and the system change – put an end to the crisis. Problems of slowdown in economic growth and external balance, that come back time to time, so far have only been increased by the social and economic changes caused by the system change. In the present issue, Eszmélet publishes articles criticising the Hungarian economic policy also giving proposals for probably more successful alternative economic policies that could be followed by the state. Further articles investigate the global economy and the Europe Hungary wants to join. Is the economic policy more independent and successful elsewhere? Who make the most important economic decisions? What are the experiences of catching-up countries? What are the consequences of foreign capital import in developing countries?

Articles also analyse the inner circles of power, the history of the Hungarian left-wing movement in Transylvania as well as the tensioned relationship between Hungarian Roma and the majority society.

Table of contents

1. magyar : Domestic capital, foreign capital
2. Tanyi Attila : Is there an alternative economic policy?
3. Mandel Miklós : The twilight of monetary dictatorship
4. Farkas Péter : Uneven development in the world economy
5. Ulrich Busch : Foreign capital in the transition process
6. Vastag Margó : Marginal notes to Ulrich Busch’s article
7. Remák Edit : Georg Ritzer on the mcdonaldisation of society
8. Márkus Péter : The beast from inside – Korten on corporations ruling the world
9. Csorba Gergely : Europe inorporated
10. Szikszai Szabolcs : Dollars and Sense
11. Szira Tamás : The anatomy of the political elite
12. Wiener György : Power relations and govermental structures in Hungary 988-1994
13. Gáll Ernő : Looking back on the Hungarian left in Transylvania
14. Diósi Ágnes : Inside or outside? The Roma minority and the Hungarian society

The second election cycle after the regime change comes to its end soon. Eszmélet now gives a review on the meaning of this process in certain specific areas that receive less attention or little scientific interest like the world of TV serials and films, higher education or agriculture. Articles peek into books, journals and documents how left-wing authors in West Europe see the European Union that is advertised in the east as the future solution. At the end, the debate started in the 31^st issue on the East Asian development model, especially whether the reforms in China could set an example for an alternative way of regime change in East Europe, is revived.

Table of contents

1. Könczöl Csaba, Garai László, Lugosi Győző, Szűcs Katalin Ágnes : The Dallas phenomenon
2. James Clarity : Inconvenient issues in a Chatolic society
3. Krisztina Sztojanova : System change in the East Europen cinema
4. Ursula Lipovec Cebron : Populist TV series in Slovenia
5. Ludmila Bulavka : Mikhalkov – Burnt by the sun
6. Gervai Pál, Trautmann László : The political economy of Dallas
7. Andor László : A political reading of My Fair Lady
8. Mocsáry József : Hungarian agriculture in the catch-22
9. Gazsó Ferenc : Social development and higher education
10. Csapody Tamás : Information or propaganda?
11. Krausz Tamás : On the history of workers councils in Hungary
12. Olivier Hoedeman : The myth of European Union
13. Brian Burkitt : Unemployment in Western Europe
14. Eszmélet : Spectre
15. európai közgazdászok : Memorandum – Alternatives to competitive austerity
16. Immanuel Wallerstein : Marx and the underdevelopment
17. Matheika Zoltán : Organising labour processes in Japan
18. Jordán Gyula : A comment on the paper of Geoffrey Owen

Marx did not know the phrase underdevelopment, though his work included a good deal of considerations to which theories of underdevel­ opment can be linked. Having discovered these, we also have to reconsider our expectations about the transition to socialism.