Between External Constraint and Internal Crackdown: Romania’s Non-Reaction to Soviet Perestroika

This chapter provides new evidence on the complex newtork of external contraints which contributed to make the Romanian reception of Gorbachev’s perestroika impossible. Ceaușescu’s refusal to implement any Moscow-sponsored reforms showed his fundamental misinterpretation of the evolving geopolitical trends of the 1980s. The Romanian leader ovestestimated the Western willingness to help him consolidate the ailing economy of his country, and badly underestimated the negative impact of the nationality issue over the global image of his regime. When the external constraints forced Ceaușescu to turn back to his senior ally, Romania’s position had dramatically changed in relation to the previous decade.