She had been an outspoken critic of Soviet communism, like her transatlantic friend and partner, Ronald Reagan. Her espousal of free markets – indeed, her ringing declarations about the link between political and economic freedom – inspired the Soviet bloc’s peoples, who had suffered under the Soviet yoke for 40 years.
她所推出的改革还掀起了国际反响。在她的执政生涯中，欧洲苏维埃共产主义瓦解了——其高潮便是1989年柏林墙的倒塌。她一直是苏联共产主义的毫不掩盖的批评者，一如她在大西洋对岸的朋友和同志罗纳德·里根。她拥护自由市场——事实上，她直白地大声宣扬政治自由和经济自由的联系——这启发了苏维埃阵营中的人民，促使他们摆脱了40年的枷锁。