Was There No Alternative? Socialist Debates and Reform Projects in late Cold-War Europe and Beyond

This article introduces the contributions to the special issue, which focus on socialist debates and reform projects in late Cold War Europe and beyond. Drawing on recent scholarship concerning ‘neoliberalism’, East European 1989-1991 transitions, and global transformations in the 1970s and 1980s, the authors examine socialist-oriented languages, projects and policies of reform intended to address the transformative crises of global capitalism and the irreversible decline of the Soviet-type planned economy. The contributions to this special issue investigate the personal connections and professional relations between experts and policymakers for two purposes. First, they seek to enhance our understanding of the interplay between politics and economics in the two halves of Europe during the late Cold War and its aftermath. Secondly, they challenge the widespread narrative that describes the end of the ‘glorious thirties’ (1945–1975) as the inevitable result of the ideological victory of ‘neoliberalism’, famously epitomised by Margaret Thatcher’s slogan ‘There is no alternative’ (TINA). As the case studies demonstrate, various alternatives based on the concept of ‘socialism’ were considered feasible in both Eastern and Western Europe, but lost momentum in the 1990s and early 2000s.