Managing in the new system is a big adjustment. Many consider the adjustment too big. Transaero, the leader among private Russian airlines, refuses to hire applicants over 35 or with prior industry experience. Advances in one area have proved disruptive elsewhere. When the Soviet Union splintered, trade among the 15 former Soviet republics immediately declined by more than 20 percent.
Some industries continue to falter as normal trade flows are impeded.
Free elections and free markets, considered complements in the West, are wary partners in Eastern Europe and Russia. The December elections in Russia were considered fair and voter turnout exceded 65 percent, a remarkable achievement for a young democracy. Yet elections gave the Communists a plurality in the Duma and a mandate to slow the pace of reform. Democracy has become a recognized, if at times begrudging, arbitrator of the reform process. Irrespective of the outcome of the presidential elections in June, free and fair elections symbolize an important step toward a more open society.