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The enlargement of the European Union eastward, which began in 2004, has significantly shaped the region’s chances of catching up over the last decade and a half. The effects of this are examined in a two-volume collection of studies.
Editors Michael Landesmann and Székely P. István Does EU membership facilitate convergence? The collection of experiences from the eastern enlargement of the EU aims to outline an analytical framework to examine how and to what extent EU membership has helped the region to catch up economically, socially and institutionally with developed countries.
Each chapter examines this impact in different areas or for a country or group of countries.
Opportunity but without guarantee
They started from the premise that everyone wants the best for their citizens, the question is what works better if it happens individually or in an organization that brings together as many states as the European Union – said István Székely in the presentation of the book organized by the Corvinus Event of the University of Budapest.
It can be said that the states that joined in 2004, including Hungary, began to converge with the developed countries very quickly. This process was also fast in its historical dimension, and the crisis of 2008-2009 only stopped the process but did not stop it.
Interestingly, all social groups benefited from the benefits of catching up, but the relative differences remained. However, depending on the types of settlements, the development routes between the main castles and the countryside were highly divided.
Additional positive effects are needed
Research shows that the two best channels to reap the positive effects of EU membership are cross-border trade and investment.
However, it is important that, in addition to the economic recovery they provide, there is also a social recovery, which means that people can continue to live healthy and enjoy the benefits of convergence.
The quality of the institutional functioning of convergence and the level of trust in the state apparatus must also be considered. If this is not the case or it shakes, it will have a noticeable retrospective effect on the convergence processes.
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