scholarly journals Economic Development and Growth in Central and Eastern Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-84
Author(s):  
Csilla Polster

The study investigates the economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe in the last 25 years. The economy can be regarded as a substantial topic in any country, but it is even more interesting in developing countries. One of the basic ideas of the European Union is the convergence between member states, namely the reduction of development disparities, which can be achieved through faster economic growth in less‑developed countries. Growth theory is one of the main topics in economics. Its significant importance is because the desire for development is one of the main driving forces of mankind. The aim of the study is to reveal the crucial differences and common features between the growth paths of the eleven Central and Eastern European member states of the European Union. After presenting growth theories, the growth performance of the examined Central and Eastern European member states is pinpointed. During the research, GDP per capita, population, migration, activity rate, employment rate, unemployment rate, foreign direct investment and foreign trade openness are considered.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Margot Horspool ◽  
Matthew Humphreys ◽  
Michael Wells-Greco

This introductory chapter traces the development of the European Union. Since its inception in 1952, the EU has matured and developed from a Community of like-minded states into a Union of a greater diversity of states, with a comprehensive legal system which is increasingly penetrating the national legal systems of Member States. From the six original members, the EU now counts 27 Member States. Eleven of the thirteen newer Member States are in Central and Eastern Europe, and have discarded their old Communist regimes, turning into democracies with the qualifications to join the Union. The latest developments and changes, including Brexit and the effects of Covid-19, are also discussed.


2019 ◽  
pp. 108-128
Author(s):  
Mitchell A. Orenstein

While many thought that the eleven Central and Eastern European countries that exited communism and joined the European Union in the 2000s had made an irrevocable “civilizational choice,” Russia has sought to extend its influence into this unexpected new battleground. Though Russia has fewer tools of influence than in the lands in between, it has used energy politics, disinformation, support for extremist parties, business relations, and a variety of covert methods to cause Central and Eastern European governments and politicians to re-evaluate their allegiances. Central and Eastern European countries have experienced growing extremism, increasing polarization, and the rise of cynical power brokers who wish to accommodate Moscow, while also benefiting from EU ties and funds. Political leaders such as Viktor Orbán of Hungary have blazed this path, making gas and energy deals with Russia while undermining democratic politics at home and challenging the European Union from within.


Author(s):  
Margot Horspool ◽  
Matthew Humphreys ◽  
Michael Wells-Greco

This introductory chapter traces the development of the European Union. Since its inception in 1952 the EU has matured and developed from a Community of like-minded States into a Union of a greater diversity of states, with a comprehensive legal system which is increasingly penetrating the national legal systems of Member States. From the six original members, the EU now counts 28 Member States, after Croatia’s recent accession. Eleven of the thirteen States which have joined in the last decade are in Central and Eastern Europe and have discarded their old Communist regimes, turning into democracies with the qualifications to join the Union.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-159
Author(s):  
D. Stoilova ◽  
◽  
I. Todorov ◽  

This study aims to estimate the impact of three fiscal instruments (direct tax revenue, indirect tax revenue and government consumption expenditure) on the economic growth of ten new European Union member states from Central and Eastern Europe– Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. We examine the hypothesis about the effect of expansionary fiscal policy on economic growth. The study employs a vector autoregression and annual Eurostat data for the period 2007–2019. Four control variables (the shares of gross capital formation, household consumption, exports in GDP, and the economic growth in the euro area) are included in the model to account for the influence of non-fiscal factors on economic growth. The empirical results indicate that the real output growth rate in the ten new member states of the European Union is negatively affected by direct tax revenue, while economic growth in the euro area, exports and gross capital formation are positively related to economic growth. The results also imply that government consumption and indirect tax revenue have no significant impact on the growth rate of real output of the ten studied countries from Central and Eastern Europe. It may be inferred that policymakers in the new European Union member states can raise economic growth by encouraging exports and investment and by lowering the share of direct tax revenue in GDP. From the three analyzed fiscal instruments (direct taxes, indirect taxes and government consumption expenditure), only one has proven to be effective in the case of the new member countries.


Author(s):  
O.V. Timofeeva

In recent decades, Central and Eastern Europe has been paying close attention to the construction of its own identity. Even for Poland, identification through belonging to the Catholic faith is no longer sufficient. Quite often, we can observe a model of defining own identity through dissociation from the other. In this context, the agenda on the migration issue becomes most relevant. The most acute reaction to the migration crisis is in Hungary, which, represented by Fidesz and Orban, is set to preserve its national, cultural and religious identity. The Visegrad Group, created with the aim of joint movement of Central and Eastern European countries to the European Union, after a decade from the moment of accession, by joint efforts, jointly contradicts the decisions of the European Union from the standpoint of preserving European and national values in the face of the influx of representatives of alien cultures. Hungary is demonstrating its readiness for a conflict with the EU for the sake of the national issue and its own position. Poland, following Hungary, demonstrates anti-emigrant rhetoric through the mouths of the leaders of the ruling "Law and Justice" since 2015. The solidarity rejection of the global pact in 2018 also indicates that the rhetoric of the defense of national identity from arriving foreign migrants prevailed in Eastern Europe. Poland, actively attracting labor migrants, prefers those who are close in culture and language. The attraction of compatriots is being adopted by such representatives of the region as Poland, Hungary, Romania. As a result, the author notes that the most significant for the Eastern European region of recent years is the desire to emphasize its own national identity by dissociating itself from foreign migrants and at the same time from the Western European community.


Baltic Region ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-179
Author(s):  
Igor V. Pilipenko

The aim of this article is to adjust the technique of comparing the standard of living in 11 countries of Central and Eastern Europe that became members of the European Union (EU) during 2004-2013 (EU-11) and 15 countries of Western, Northern and Southern Europe – member states of the EU by 1995 (EU-15). We reveal that outright home ownership in the EU-11 countries exceeds on average 75%, while almost two-thirds of households in the EU-15 countries have a mortgage or pay rent spending on housing on average up to one quarter of their income. Despite 30 years of transition to a market economy, the EU-11 countries largely inherited such home ownership structure from the centrally planned economy institutions, i.e. individually-owned and cooperative housing, as well as subsidized state-owned housing stock that became the private property of tenants at the start of market reforms. We propose a technique of taking into account households’ income and housing costs (mortgage and rent) in one indicator given the current home ownership structure in an economy. After the purchasing power parity (PPP) adjustment, our calculations reveal that the standard of living disparities between the EU-11 and EU-15 states are less significant than when compared at nominal prices or PPP alone. Moreover, the disparity in average living standards between these two groups of countries turns out to be narrower than cross-regional differences within seven EU member states at the Eurostat’s NUTS 2 level.


2010 ◽  
Vol 09 (02) ◽  
pp. 161-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Jelavic ◽  
Kristie Ogilvie

This research discusses the SECI Model of Knowledge Conversion as it relates to the 10 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) that are now part of the European Union (EU). The socio-economic conversion from socialism to capitalism of these societies is unique in historical precedence, whereby utilising the contextual models in knowledge conversion are applicable for understanding the implications of such a phenomenon. The results indicate that there is a unique set of variables that need to be considered within this context and for future similar situations.


Author(s):  
Mugur Victor Constantin Iureş

AbstractThis paper aims to identify and review the most important and topical scientific papers that deal with the strategies that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe apply in the bioeconomic field. In the context of a special attention paid to this sector by the policymakers, seen through the adoption of The Bioeconomy Strategy, in 2012, by the European Union and updated in 2018, it is natural to ask what is the current state of knowledge in this field? This paper treats with the sectors enclosed in this field, from agriculture to biofuels and from paper production to biopharmaceuticals, based on the scientific literature underpinnings, given that this development sector is an emerging one and the ampleness of the scientific works being limited. The methodology of this paper comprises the literature review of the main results obtained this far, in order to accomplish the foundation for further research.


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