Central and Eastern Europe in the EU: Challenges and Perspectives Under Crisis Conditions (Routledge Studies in the European Economy)

Since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, the EU has been in almost permanent crisis mode. It is witnessing new dimensions of internal differentiation among its member states, and the migration crisis has shown that the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEs) in particular are slowly but certainly transforming themselves from predominantly passive policy-takers towards becoming more active players in the process of shaping the EU's governance agenda. This edited volume offers the first comprehensive and critical insight into how the CEEs position themselves in the EU's changing internal and external environment, their stance towards the European integration process under current crisis conditions, and what political and economic strategies they prioritize. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 List of illustrations 10 List of contributors 12 Acknowledgements 17 1. Introduction: the EU under crisis conditions: Central and Eastern European perspectives 18 The eurozone sovereign debt crisis 19 Brexit 20 The refugee crisis and the migration challenge 21 Positioning the CEEs in a changing environment 21 References 24 Part I: Central and Eastern Europe in the EU’s changing internal and external dimension 26 2. Positioning the CEE region in the EU’s core-periphery divide 28 Introduction 28 EU accession and ‘adaptive Europeanisation’ through conditionality 29 Declining EU legitimacy and transition “backsliding” 33 The poisoned chalice of German leadership in the EU 36 Conclusion: avoiding the permanent peripheralisation of the CEEs 37 References 38 3. A rift in European integration? Neglected shadows of the Central and Eastern European transformation 42 Introduction 42 Conceptual framework 42 The historical legacy of ‘in-betweenness’ 44 The model of capitalism in Central and Eastern Europe 47 Societal embeddedness of economic transformation 50 Woundedness and victimization 52 Conclusion 55 Notes 56 References 57 4. Perpetual crises, the return of geopolitics and the emergence of a new normalcy in Central Europe 61 Introduction 61 Placing the V4 in an increasingly fragile context 62 V4 and their economic performance: catching up and backsliding 63 Visegrád 4: political turmoil 69 Conclusion 70 References 71 5. Central European relations in turbulent times 74 Introduction 74 Trade relations 75 The Central European manufacturing core 77 German FDI inflows into V4 after the 2008 global crisis 79 The Hungarian case 82 Conclusion 85 Acknowledgement 85 Notes 86 References 86 Part II: National perspectives: between good citizenship and backsliding 90 6. European Union at the crossroads: which route will poland take? 92 Introduction 92 Poland’s membership in the EU: a balance of challenges and benefits 93 The refugee crisis as a catalyst of the changes of Poland’s European policy 95 Brexit: will the UK remain the most important ally for the Polish government in the EU? 99 Conclusions 103 Notes 105 References 105 7. Hungary in the Visegrád group: Introducing a three-level game approach 107 Introduction 107 Theoretical background 109 The polity of Visegrád and Hungary 111 V4 Policies and Hungary 112 Hungary and politics in the V4 cooperation 114 Conclusion 118 Notes 119 References 119 8. Slovakia: a farewell to a passive policy-taker role? 123 Introduction: welcome to the country of the ‘in between’ 123 Successful consolidation and the death of the ‘Tatra tiger’ 126 The refugee crisis paradox: a virtual problem with real and enduring consequences 130 Conclusion 132 Notes 133 References 135 9. The politics of internal and external migration in the enlarged EU: Bulgaria and Romania from policy-takers to policy-makers? 137 Introduction 137 Romania and Bulgaria: the ‘laggards’ of the EU’s Eastern enlargement 138 The politics of posted workers: internal EU migration and Brexit 140 The refugee crisis: a window of opportunity? 142 Unfinished business: Schengen area membership and visa free regimes 144 The threat of veto in the CETA negotiations 145 Conclusion 146 Notes 148 References 148 10. The Baltic States in the EU: committed europhiles or geopolitical hostages? 152 Introduction: Baltic EU policy priorities and premises 152 Participation in the Single Market 156 Efforts to ensure energy security 158 Conclusion 161 References 162 11. The new kid on the block: Croatia’s EU membership in the shadow of the eurozone crisis 166 Introduction 166 Privatisation and the creation of political capitalism 167 Economic performance before and after the crisis 169 Croatia’s EU membership 172 Labour market reforms 175 Tax reforms 176 Conclusions 176 Notes 178 References 178 Part III: The Visegrád cooperation – challenges for a semi-institutionalised regional group 180 12. Internal and external aspects of the Visegrád 4 cooperation 182 Introduction 182 V4 as an informally institutionalized regional initiative 182 Four dimensions of cooperation 183 Factors undermining the internal cohesion of the V4 185 Visegrád inspirational? Potential for coalition building at EU level 188 Solidarity: the crucial concept 190 Visegrád recycleable? Future challenges and opportunities 191 Notes 192 References 192 13. The dual crisis and ‘regionalization’ in the Visegrád states: the identity politics of East-Central Europe in the new world order 194 Introduction: the Visegrád states in the emerging new world order 194 The new world order and its implications for wider Europe 195 The ‘perverse’ regionalism and the ‘alienation’ of Visegrád states 199 Conclusion: the V4 region’s alternative to Europeanization or peripheralization 203 Notes 204 References 204 14. Cooperation or integration? The new defence initiatives in the Visegrád group 207 Introduction 207 The foreign and security policies of the V4 countries 208 The military strength of the V4 countries 212 The evolution of defence cooperation 213 V4 EU Battlegroup 2016 215 Moving to the permanent modular force 218 Conclusion 220 Notes 221 References 223 15. Conclusion: perspectives and new directions for central and Eastern Europe in the EU 225 References 228 Index 230 Introduction: the EU under crisis conditions : Central and Eastern European perspectives / Christian Schweiger & Anna Visvizi -- Central and Eastern Europe in the EU's changing internal and external -- Dimension -- Positioning the cee region in the EU's core-periphery divide / Christian Schweiger -- A rift in European integration? : neglected shadows of the Central and Eastern European transformation / Bea?ta Farkas & Andra?s Ma?te?-To?th -- Perpetual crises, the return of geopolitics and the emergence of a new normalcy in Central Europe / Anna Visvizi -- Central European relations in turbulent times / Beata Farkas -- National perspectives : between good citizenship and backsliding -- European Union at the crossroads : which route will poland take? / Maciej Duszczyk -- Hungary in the Visegra?d group : introducing a three-level game approach / Krisztina Arato? & Bogla?rka Koller -- Slovakia : a farewell to a passive policy taker role? / Zsolt Ga?l & Darina Malova? -- The politics of internal and external migration in the enlarged EU : Bulgaria and Romania from policy-takers to policy-makers? / Nicole Lindstrom & Mihnea Catuti -- The Baltic states in the EU : committed europhiles or geopolitical hostages? / Liutauras Gudzinskas & Tomas Bekisas -- The new kid on the block : Croatia's EU membership in the shadow of the eurozone crisis / Will Bartlett -- The Visegra?d cooperation : challenges for a semi-institutionalised regional group -- Internal and external aspects of the Visegra?d 4 cooperation / Tomas Strazay -- The dual crisis and "regionalization" in the Visegra?d states : the identity politics of East-Central Europe in the new world order / Attila A?gh -- Cooperation or integration? the new defence initiatives in the Visegra?d group / Anna Molna?r & Zolta?n Szenes -- Conclusion: perspectives and new directions for Central and Eastern Europe in the EU / Christian Schweiger & Anna Visvizi Introduction: the EU under crisis conditions : Central and Eastern European perspectives / Christian Schweiger & Anna Visvizi -- Central and Eastern Europe in the EU's changing internal and external -- Dimension -- Positioning the cee region in the EU's core-periphery divide / Christian Schweiger -- A rift in European integration? : neglected shadows of the Central and Eastern European transformation / Beáta Farkas & András Máté-Tóth -- Perpetual crises, the return of geopolitics and the emergence of a new normalcy in Central Europe / Anna Visvizi -- Central European relations in turbulent times / Beata Farkas -- National perspectives : between good citizenship and backsliding -- European Union at the crossroads : which route will poland take? / Maciej Duszczyk -- Hungary in the Visegrád group : introducing a three-level game approach / Krisztina Arató & Boglárka Koller -- Slovakia : a farewell to a passive policy taker role? / Zsolt Gál & Darina Malová -- The politics of internal and external migration in the enlarged EU : Bulgaria and Romania from policy-takers to policy-makers? / Nicole Lindstrom & Mihnea Catuti -- The Baltic states in the EU : committed europhiles or geopolitical hostages? / Liutauras Gudzinskas & Tomas Bekisas -- The new kid on the block : Croatia's EU membership in the shadow of the eurozone crisis / Will Bartlett -- The Visegrád cooperation : challenges for a semi-institutionalised regional group -- Internal and external aspects of the Visegrád 4 cooperation / Tomas Strazay -- The dual crisis and "regionalization" in the Visegrád states : the identity politics of East-Central Europe in the new world order / Attila Ágh -- Cooperation or integration? the new defence initiatives in the Visegrád group / Anna Molnár & Zoltán Szenes -- Conclusion: perspectives and new directions for Central and Eastern Europe in the EU / Christian Schweiger & Anna Visvizi "Since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, the EU has been in almost permanent crisis mode. It is witnessing new dimensions of internal differentiation among its member states, and the migration crisis has shown that the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEs) in particular are slowly but certainly transforming themselves from predominantly passive policy-takers towardsbecoming more active players in the process of shaping the EUs governance agenda. This edited volume offers the first comprehensive and critical insight into how the CEEs position themselves in the EUs changing internal and external environment, their stance towards the European integration process under current crisis conditions, and what political and economic strategies they prioritize."--Provided by publisher