Lessons from the czech and slovak economies split

Abstract

The less developed Slovak economy was converging quickly to the Czech economic level after the World War II, thanks to the massive reallocation of resources. The inflow amounted to 11% of the Slovak GDP, the outflow from the Czech Lands represented 4% of their GDP. The Slovak GDP per capita reached around three quarters of the Czech one in 1992. After the split of Czechoslovakia, the economic policy adjusted to the changed conditions by sinking real wages and depreciation of Slovak koruna, so that the Slovak ULC are the lowest among the Central European countries now. The cost competitiveness, accompanied by an abundant inflow of FDI and economic reforms after the EU accession helped to speed the real convergence. As a result, the Slovak GDP per capita reached 84% of the Czech one in 2007. The balance of costs and benefits of the euro adoption varies due to different conditions in the succession states and to a certain extent justifies the more rapid advancement to the single currency in Slovakia. The common challenge for both economies is to overcome the one-sided orientation on cost/price competitiveness based on low wages.