Hungary in Transformation to Freedom and Prosperity [antikvár]

Foreword 14 Formation of the Commission 1 In the summer of 1989 several Hungarians and expatriates conceived the idea of a "blue ribbon commission" to help a new democratic government to chart the heretofore unexplored route from a centrally directed economy, which had proven a dead end, to a markét economy, where most Hungarians clearly desire to arrive. The enthusiasm for such a project subsequently was caught by several domestic and international research institutions. In the autumn of 1989, these institutions jointly agreed to convene this particular Blue Ribbon Commission (the "BRC"), whose analytical report and "Action Program" follow. 2 A "blue ribbon," in certain Western usage, connotes a "first place prize" or "best performance" standard; a blue ribbon commission, therefore, is a panel of academic experts and individuals of other distinctive achievements in a given field. Such a panel was assembled to address the means for effecting the economic recovery and transformation of Hungary, and for doing so with a minimum of pain during the transition. 3 Those asked to serve on the Commission were eager to accept. They have served without pay, and somé have alsó paid their own expenses or helped raise priváté philanthropic or corporate funding to support the Commission. This is alsó true of somé of the other experts and advisers brought together to participate in the BRC process. 4 The panel, though initiated by sponsoring institutions (see Appendicies A and B for acknowledgements), is independent and beholden to no one for its mandate or deliberations. The Hungárián and international participants from various universities, public policy institutes, governments, businesses, financial institutions, and international organizations were invited to jóin the project as individuals and not as spokespersons for any organization with which they might be affiliated.