What were some of the problems facing the economies of the former communist nations? what economic challenges do the eastern european nations face today?

Communism pretty much decimated Eastern Europe, it has not recovered well and the places where recovery has took placewell its the same all story, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. They just where a different color of politics.I.e. communists with all the connections got all the spoils and none of the rags.People that believed that communism would end European poverty are very much mistaken.They don't care about the poor same as capitalists, if they did they could end the poverty with the wave of a pen on a checkbook but they don't.