The reason of why this is happening is because since the fall of the Soviet Union socialism has proved not to be effective as an economic-political system. On the other hand, free market policies have led the countries that carry them out to improve their economies and stabilize their societies. Examples of countries destroyed and indebted by war, such as Japan or Germany, have gone ahead thanks to policies of international cooperation and free trade. Taking notice of this, the countries of the communist sphere have begun to develop free-market policies, in pursuit of achieving the development they observe in their neighboring countries.