Regional Inequalities in the Enlarged Europe

Abstract

In a multilevel system like the European Union (EU), social conflicts are defined and conceived mainly in territorial categories. As a result, the disparities between Eastern and Western Europe may give rise to additional transfer payments or even endanger further enlargements of the EU. The acuteness of this trilemma of enlargement, increased political cooperation and budgetary neutrality can be lessened either by a quick convergence of Eastern and Western performance levels, or by the differentiation of the regional employment and income situation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The capital regions and the Western border regions in Central Europe are developing dynamically. Consequently, one can expect to see a relatively durable prosperity gap between Eastern and Western Europe, as well as increased regional differentiation within CEE. These differentiation processes could be a first step in transforming the definition of inequalities and interests into territorial and non-territorial forms of social inequalities. However, the relative stability of the European centre– periphery structure does not allow for the ‘de-territorialization’ of social relationships. Instead, there is evidence of a non-identical, path-dependent reproduction of long-established disparities.