In this article the authors substantiate the two theses which are of principle impor- tance for the modernization of the political system of the CIS countries. (1) The social basis of the modern civil society is not a small private owner (petty bourgeoisie) but a person of wage labour whose civil independence is secured by public property and by law and democracy of the welfare state. (2) The relationship of civil society and mo- dern state has an antinomic character; i.e. the dependence of the former on the latter is increasing in accordance with the process of democratization of a state. In addition the authors suggest a number of concrete proposals for the civil society in the East European states.