Diana Mincyte reflects on the concept of a “risk society” and its relevance to the post-socialist transition in Eastern Europe, where socioeconomic upheavals led to pervasive fears and uncertainties. She highlights that public discourses focused on the risks associated with consumer goods, such as polluted water and contaminated food, rather than addressing the broader structural instabilities brought about by political and economic shifts. This narrow focus paradoxically legitimized the new capitalist economy. Mincyte critiques the tendency in the social sciences to emphasize individualized experiences of risk while obscuring their systemic origins. She calls for a deeper examination of how risks and certainties are constructed, suggesting that understanding stability and legitimacy within a risk society is crucial.