Justice after Transition: On the Choices Successor Elites Make in Dealing with the Past

The author looks at one component of transitions to democracy: the strategies successor elites develop to deal with injustices committed by the previous, authoritarian regime. He compares post-transition justice in Belgium, France, and The Netherlands after World War II and in Eastern Europe after the fall of communism. He discusses several factors that influence policy choices. Among the most influential are the legacy of the past regime, the international legal context at the time of the passage to democracy, and the mode of transition and its ensuing impact on the balance of power between the old and the new order.