THE STATE AND THE SOCIAL PARTNERS - TOWARDS A DEVELOPMENT COMPACT

The ideologues of the laissez-faire have been quick to interpret the c ollapse of the centrally planned economics in the Soviet bloc as a pro of of the excellence of their model. Yet, this counter-utopia to the c ollapsed real socialism is also demonstrably bankrupt. But far more di sturbing is the disorientation of the middle way democratic regimes wh ich are finding increasingly difficult to strike the right balance bet ween public and private, market and planning, short-term contingencies and long-term visions informed by ideals of social justice and harmon y with nature. Yet the search for the third way constitutes the most p romising path to explore. Rather than mimetically reproducing readymad e blueprints brought from abroad, the challenge is to put to work soci al imagination to evolve endogenous solutions that will respond to the singularities of each country, be rooted in its intellectual and poli tical history and take advantage of other countries' experiences.