Beginning in the mid-1980s, dramatic changes occurred in many of the world’s planned economies. The former Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, and other nations began moving toward greater use of free markets and individual decision making. Described in terms of figure 24, these and other planned economies shifted to the right along the continuum of economic decision making. In several of these countries, economic reform was accompanied by greater political freedom. Non-communist part candidates were elected to top positions in Russia, Poland, and several of the former Soviet republics, and East and West Germany reunified. Central to many of these economic and political reforms were changes initiated by then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Two significant developments that occurred under his leadership were Glasnost, a policy designed to lead to greater dependence on markets and individual initiative.