EU accession, transition and further integration for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

ABSTRACT. This contribution summarizes outcomes of research produced within framework of EU Lifelong Learning Programme Jean Monnet's BRIDGE project and focuses on research dissemination in field of economic governance that must be considered by Central and Eastern European countries in EU context. The topics mentioned above became core of this special issue of Economics and Sociology journal.Prior to EU enlargement, EU accession and subsequent Euro adoption were viewed as a solution to economic problems such a lack of fiscal discipline, high inflation expectations, volatile exchange rates, and a lack of efficient investments into RD or Slosarcik, 2011).With regard to above, Professor Dunkwart Rustow (who is often called the father of transitology) states that after transformation of society towards democracy there has to be final habituation phase where gradually rules of democracy become a habit (Rustow, 1970). This process is usually supposed to take life span of one generation. Oliver Williamson, a 2009 Nobel Prize laureate and a specialist on economic governance, also estimates that this process might take some time, perhaps more than one generation (Williamson, 1985).The present graduates were already born after fall of Iron Curtain however question arises whether societies of Central and Eastern Europe have already finalized this phase and are fully established democracies with functioning market economies (Baldwin et al., 1997). Some researchers think that this phase has not yet been reached. Thence, more indepth research focused on external and internal factors (such as political culture and path dependence, lack of political debate, weak civil society, corruption, clientelism in political parties, EU crisis, influence of Russia, etc.) that prevent fully completed transformation (Koudelkova et al., 2015) is still in need to be done thoroughly.1. Pitfalls of transition and EU accessionThe main slogan of year 1989 was back to Europe. With collapse of Soviet block and emerging of new democratic countries in Central and Eastern Europe, accession to EU became ultimate task and widely-supported idea across all strata of societies. The EU accession processes that included harmonization of laws and regulations, as well as implementation of Acquis Communautire accompanied transition and transformation processes. These two were not always identical and specifics of countries of CEECs played a certain role in both processes sometimes leading to distortions and unfavorable results.The question now arises whether economic transition and EU accession were successful and whether they influenced present development in CEE countries and their attitudes towards further integration of EU. The EU is finding itself at a turning point, on one hand economic governance is deepening whilst on other hand support of citizens and support of some member states is fading. …