What are some reasons for the collapse of communism in Europe?

I would argue that the main reason for the collapse of
communism in Eastern Europe was the fact that Mikhail Gorbacheve instituted his glasnost
and peresetroika reforms in the Soviet Union.  When Gorbachev did this, it signalled to
the people of the Soviet bloc that the Soviet government would no longer use its power
to enforce their obedience.  At that point, communism started to fall apart across the
region.

But why did communism fall apart once the Soviets
stopped coercing their people and those of other countries?  The main reason for this is
that the communist economic and social system was not able to satisfy its people's wants
and needs.  People in those countries wanted a better material standard of living and
more freedom.  Communism could not provide these
things.

Communism's inability to do this laid the
foundation for its collapse.  Once the Soviet government stopped using its resources to
enforce obedience, the whole structure collapsed because it was fundamentally unable to
satisfy its people.