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This paper analyses one of the causes of economic crisis in this part of the world : a cash crop slump due to political economic errors generating a shortage of manufactured goods in rural areas. In this case, the impact of an increase in agricultural product prices on output is unpredictable ; the only way of increasing output is to supply manufactured goods. Stabilisation programmes tend to aggravate the situation even more by reducing imports. Appropriate programmes which include supplementary imports directed towards rural areas in order to promote the growing of cash crops and exports must then be drawn up.

The comparison of wage structures in East and West is founded on the similarity of wage functions and of salaried class extension in both systems. Six Western and four Eastern countries are investigated. The estimation of earnings dispersion in the whole economy does not disclose any « systemic difference ». In addition the factors of wages inequalities are often the same : education level of wage earners, discrimination against women, production structure. The analysis of the « isomorphisms » of the wage structures relies on the patterns of work organization and the wage policy of the firms. Organizations and efficiency wage theories applied to both systems are the basis of this explanation.

This article relies on the following assumption: the Soviet foreign trade reform could modify the external economic relations of the U.S.S.R. and the Six (countries of Eastern Europe) with the West. This would result from the new Soviet strategy which attempts at exporting more finished goods to the West and at redirecting some imports from Western Europe and Japan to developing countries. If the Soviet reform did work, we could expect an increase in competition between the U.S.S.R. and the Six in Western markets, particularly in French, Austrian, Swiss and the US markets. However, the potentialities of such competition should not be overrated insofar as they depend on the successfull outcome of industrial modernisation in the U.S.S.R. and, in last analysis, on the success of «perestroïka». This new competition among Socialist countries should either increase in the field of policies welcoming Western direct investment and might well push them towards more liberal economic reforms.

In order to guarantee the stability of the European economic community, convergence of members countries is one of the European economic community fundamental objectives. This process must take place in such a way that the intensification of exchanges connected to the integration of the economies does not emphasize the geographical disparities of growth for the benefit of the most favoured sectors and regions. But the dominant trend for several years as initiated by the European monetary policy, is more of an alignment of monetary values and prices systems based on the most competitive country (the Federal Republic of Germany) rather than on a real values convergence. From this can only result increased disparities of income and structural adaptation. Therefore a redistribution within the Community is necessary. The author outlines its theoretical basis and means of application.

Along with obvious benefits for european economies, monetary union will bring new constraints and disciplines. Some form of coordination of national fiscal policies, will be necessary, although not necessarily through binding controls at community level. Convergence between national economies will have to be facilitated by fiscal transfers through the community budget.

After the publication of the General theory, critical paper appeareds in main economic reviews. Keynes answered several times using the new concept of « finance ». It permited him to specify his theory of interest and money but also to give the premisses of a theory of the financement of the firm. He distinguished between short term banking financement of the production and long term market financement (saving) of investment. He demonstrated definitly that investment is prior to saving.