The fate of the former colonies was strongly affected by the rivalry of the US and USSR in the post-war decades, and the collapse os state socialism is also a milestone in Third World history. The new wave of democratisation should be analysed carefully and with reservations since the rhetoric overs a new form of intervention in domestic affairs.

The authors claim that the main reason for the return of post-communist parties is that they could sell themselves as social-democratic parties. Accordingly, their failure to fulfill the related promises will be the main cause for their fall. In order to understand the dynamic of East European politics, class analysis must be revived.

Two books have been published on the history of the Hungarian Free Democrats i.e. the former "democratic opposition". The author compares these books and also reviews a critique of the same books by Miklós Szabó.  (Ervin Czizmadia: A magyar demokratikus ellenzék. I-III. [The democratic opposition in Hungary], T-Twins Kiadó 1995., Ripp Zoltán: Szabad demokraták [Free Democrats]. Napvilág Kiadó 1995.