The objective of the article is to refer to the thesis about the need to modify the main paradigm of economic sciences -by which we mean mainstream economics -with all its consequences that influence the whole economic sciences. We posit the need for the modification of how economic sciences are practiced in ontological, epistemological, and methodological aspects. The need results from the impact of several factors that appeared even in the pre-pandemic period, for which Covid-19 may be a complementary and reinforcing circumstance that may even directly determine the change. Research Design & Methods:The main method we used was that of critical literature analysis. We constructed a set of normative recommendations for changes in economic sciences. Next, we selected four issues to exemplify the areas that require change, for which we proposed a set of postulates that constitute the desired modifications in economic sciences. Findings: The conducted literature review shows that the number of people convinced of the need to modify the assumptions and content of economic sciences grows systematically. Sometimes, there even appears a more elaborate demand for the revision of economic sciences, not only of their modification. Implications & Recommendations: Firstly, the most important consequence of the study is the justification of the postulate of departing from the dominance of the main paradigm of economic sciences contained in mainstream economics towards noticing the multi-paradigm character of economic sciences, and secondly, the support of the position leaning towards the active and normative involvement of economic sciences in creating/correcting the surrounding reality. Contribution & Value Added:The text is a synthesis of the postulates previously reported in the literature regarding the modification of economic sciences with the consequences caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Chronologically, the Covid-19 pandemic is the last of the causative factors of the revision under consideration -neither the only nor the most important factor -but what draws attention are its direct nature, violence, and the surprise associated with its appearance. Article type:research article

No abstract

Motivation: One of the most important dimensions of socio-economic development in democratic countries with market economies remains economic freedom. In this context, it is worth assessing the evolution of economic freedom in 11 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and South-Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia during the period of institutional transformations in 1996–2022.Aim: The aim of the article is to present the results on correlation, s-convergence and s-divergence, as well as a multidimensional comparative analysis in the field of economic freedom. In order to conduct comparative analyzes, the economic freedom indexes published by The Heritage Foundation in Washington and Wall Street Journal will be used. They measure 12 quantitative and qualitative aspects grouped around the four pillars of economic freedom: Rule of Law — property rights, government integrity, judicial effectiveness; Government Size — government spending, tax burden, fiscal health; Efficiency regulators — business freedom, labour freedom, monetary freedom; Open Markets — trade freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom.Results: The obtained results allow us to assess the generally positive changes in economic freedom in its 12 partial and 1 general aspects in relation to each country separately, as well as in relation to the group of countries that joined the European Union after 2003. They are a significant supplement to the knowledge about creating economic freedom in 11 post-socialist countries in the years 1996–2022.

The authors of the article put forward a thesis about the need to modify or revise the way in which economic sciences are practiced in ontological, epistemological and methodological terms. This results from the impact of a series of factors that appeared in the pre-pandemic period and for which COVID-19 may be a complementary, reinforcing or even directly determining circumstance. The structure of this article was subordinated to the adopted goal. Eight areas were selected for which a set of proposals was made for modifications in economic research. The main method used in the study is critical analysis of the literature.

No abstract