Visegrad Group countries and the immigration crisis in the European Union

This presented study discusses problems related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty, aimed at eliminating poverty, based on the example of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The introduction addresses the general characteristics of the V4 and attempts to define the concept of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on its complex nature and importance for future generations. The purpose of the research was to assess the diversity within the Visegrad Group countries in the years 2005–2018 in terms of poverty and sustainable development level in the No Poverty area and also to identify the impact of the socioeconomic development level in the studied countries on sustainable development in the No Poverty area. Taking into account the analysis of poverty indicators in the Visegrad Group countries, the best results were recorded for Czechia. The second part of the conducted analyzed allowed us to conclude that Czechia definitely presents the highest level of sustainable development, followed by Slovakia. The highest average dynamics of changes occur in Poland and Hungary, which result in the gradual elimination of the existing disproportions. Among other research results, it is worth highlighting that the V4 countries show significant, however, decreasing differences regarding the indicators describing poverty in relation to sustainable development.

Purpose: The aim of the article was to analyse the qualitative approach to product improvement by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from the Visegrad Group (V4) countries (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Hungary). Design/methodology/approach: The analysed results included a research sample of 379 companies in the electromechanical industry (machinery processing industry). The sample was obtained between March and September 2023 by means of a guided survey. Analyses of the results of quantitative research were carried out to verify the approaches of SMEs from V4 countries to pro-quality product, including comparative analyzes of the results obtained. Analyses were performed using the ANOVA test (repeated measure designs). The Mann Whitney U test was used to identify statistically significant differences in entrepreneurs' responses. The significance level adopted was α = 0.05. Findings: It has been shown that SMEs from V4 countries have different approaches to improving product quality. Additionally, it was shown that both in the case of pro-quality activities of SMEs from the V4 countries, the lowest consistency of assessments occurs in the following countries: Poland and Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, Slovakia and Hungary. Practical implications: Research results may contribute to more effective and coherent development activities of SMEs in the V4 countries as part of their sustainable development. Social implications: Based on the research conducted, it is possible to provide SMEs in V4 countries with a more adequate approach to undertake consistent and effective quality activities as part of the improvement of the product. Originality/value: Determining the current pro-quality approach to product improvement in SMEs in the V4 countries. The novelty is also the identification of the importance (level of importance) of these approaches in each V4 country, as well as the determination of the similarities and differences between these approaches in SMEs from countries in the Visegrad Group. Keywords: Visegrad Group (V4), SMEs, quality product improvement, production engineering. Category of the paper: Research paper.

Purpose: The aim of the article was to analyse the pro-environmental approach to products improvement by SMEs from the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. Design/methodology/approach: The research was survey. The survey research was carried out in traditional (paper) and electronic form (MS FORMS). The survey was directed at electronic industries (machinery processing) belonging to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from V4 countries. The results presented in the article refer to sample size of 379 SMEs, obtained between March and September 2023. Results were analysed in statistical way, i.e.: ANOVA test and Mann Whitney U test by significance level equal to α = 0.05. Findings: SMEs in V4 countries have a similar approach to pro-environmental improving of products. It was shown that pro-environmental activities of SMEs from the V4 countries, the lowest consistency of assessments occurs in the following countries: Poland and Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, Slovakia and Hungary. Practical implications: The research results may contribute to more effective and coherent development activities of SMEs in the V4 countries as part of their sustainable development, and also to take appropriate actions that will be supporting qualitative and environmental products. Social implications: The results can help SME entrepreneurs improve their products to protect the natural environment. In addition, they can be the basis for the development of SMEs from the V4 countries and their unidirectional development, which includes not only improving the quality of products, but also caring for the environment. Originality/value: The originality of the research is the determination of the current pro-environmental approach to product improvement in SMEs in the V4 countries. The novelty is the provision of current data on the importance of improving pro-environmental products in SMEs from the V4 countries and their comparison between companies in the electrical machinery industry. Keywords: Visegrad Group (V4), SMEs, environment, quality, product improvement, production engineering. Category of the paper: Research paper.

For the Visegrad Group (VG) countries, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has become a particularly relevant feature of each member’s foreign policy. Today, it has become obvious that the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war that began on February 24, 2022, will have a significant impact not only on the warring parties, but its consequences will be felt by a number of countries. The VG countries, as elements of the regional subsystem, are forced to respond to security challenges. All VG countries, with the exception of Hungary, understand the risks of further Russian expansion in the event of Ukraine’s defeat and are trying to avoid this, paying special attention not only to helping our state, but also to its own defense. Budapest has chosen a position that differs from the VG partner countries and the EU as a whole. The article analyzes the position of official Budapest after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The focus is on factors that influence the position of Viktor Orban's government (different from other members of the VG), in particular, the issue of support for sanctions against Russia, military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the role of the Hungarian ethnic minority in Ukraine, economic cooperation between Hungary and Russia, and the domestic political situation in the country, which directly affects the foreign policy of official Budapest, is considered.

A fuel market is an important sector of the economy and fuel prices influence the prices of numerous products and services. This paper focuses on the analysis of the interrelationships between markets of fuels in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The research is based on weekly prices of Pb95 gasoline and diesel in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia observed from January 2016 through December 2020. After performing the preliminary statistical analysis, the long-term relationships between the prices of fuels are investigated through application of the cointegrated regression Durbin–Watson (CRDW) test. Next, Granger causality is tested to answer the question of whether changes in prices of fuels in separate V4 countries Granger-cause changes in prices of fuels in other V4 countries. The cointegration research uses logarithmic prices, whereas causality investigation is based on their first differences. The results reveal long-term relationships between the prices of Pb95 gasoline in the Czech Republic and prices in other V4 countries as well as Granger causality flowing from diesel price changes in Poland to diesel price changes in other V4 countries and bilateral causation between changes in the prices of Pb95 gasoline in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Introduction. International trade is a priority factor in economic development, and it is particularly significant for countries with geographical and strategic proximity. For Ukraine, which is integrating into the European space, the study of trade relations with the Visegrad Group countries is relevant, as these countries are promising partners for Ukraine’s economic and political stability. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to analyze the dynamics of trade relations between Ukraine and the Visegrad Group countries, examine trends in these relations over recent years, and develop an approach to modeling their further development under global economic changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war. Method (methodology). The theoretical and methodological foundation of the article includes scientific works on international trade, economic integration, and strategic partnership between the Visegrad Group countries. The study applies general scientific and specialized methods, including: methods of analysis and synthesis to examine the dynamics of trade flows between Ukraine and the V4 countries during 2004–2023; statistical methods to analyze time series and assess trends in foreign trade indicators; the Monte Carlo method to evaluate potential scenarios for the development of trade relations; graphical methods to visually represent the obtained results using diagrams and graphs; abstract-logical methods to interpret the results and formulate conclusions and recommendations for the further development of trade relations between Ukraine and the Visegrad Group countries. Results. The trade dynamics demonstrated stable growth in trade volumes between Ukraine and the Visegrad Group countries, despite periods of crisis. Poland has emerged as Ukraine’s largest trade partner, as evidenced by the increase in export and import volumes even amid political and economic changes. The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia also show stable, albeit varying, rates of strengthening trade relations. The role of geopolitical changes, such as the war in Ukraine, in shaping trade relations with the Visegrad Group countries is specifically highlighted. These results emphasize the importance of developing a strategy for advancing trade relations with the group in the context of Ukraine’s European integration.

The study aimed to assess the competitiveness of agriculture and agri-food trade in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries during their European Union (EU) membership. Using data from Eurostat and the Agri-food Data Portal, labour productivity in agriculture and competitive position in agri-food trade within the EU internal market were analysed. In each V4 country, the labour productivity indicator was lower than the EU-27 average; however, Poland and Hungary had the least favourable scores. Of the four countries surveyed, Czechia recorded the highest productivity and Poland the lowest, influenced by the agrarian structure and level of employment in agriculture. However, it was positive that the dynamics of labour productivity change in all V4 countries were higher than the EU average. The research also showed that accession of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia to the EU contributed to an increase in agri-food exports and imports in all analysed countries. Poland has a comparative advantage and is export-specialised in the food and live animals (SITC 0 commodity group) and beverages and tobacco products (SITC 1 commodity group), but not in the animal and vegetable oils, fats, and waxes (SITC 4 commodity group). In the SITC4 commodity group, Hungary performed best, having both a comparative advantage and export specialisation in this area. Slovakia is the worst performer compared to the other countries surveyed, having neither a comparative advantage nor export specialisation in any of the analysed commodity groups.

The objective of this paper is to identify the significance of the green economy for a sustainable future and compare the situation and developments in achieving the European Green Deal (EGD) in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. To achieve this objective, the paper focuses on the challenges, risks and opportunities of implementing green economy policies. Comprehensive data analysis is conducted, and a European Green Deal Index (EGDI) for the V4 countries is developed. The Eurostat database is used to monitor 18 key indicators in the V4 countries from 2015 to the latest year available. The results show that Slovakia is the best-performing V4 country with the highest EGDI score, while Poland shows the most significant improvement, mainly in the category Enabling a green and just transition. Between 2015 and 2023, Slovakia and Czechia experienced negative trends in the percentage of the population unable to keep their home adequately warm for financial reasons. The paper highlights the social dimension of the EGD and the green economy as well as the importance of a just transition concept across the whole European Union since increased household spending on the green transition could affect public support.

This paper aims at comparing the management perspectives with the audit conditions in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Poland, and Hungary) in the following areas: legislation governing the auditing, statutory duty of auditing, mandatory rotation of auditors in public interest entities, requirements on auditors and professional activities, and audit supervision organizations. The paper also tests the hypothesis whether there is a relationship between the size of the accounting entity and the auditor’s opinion.The methodology is based on the statistical analysis of the data using the Chi-square test of independence applied to a sample of 800 randomly selected accounting entities from all V4 countries (200 per each country in question).The results demonstrated significant differences in the management approaches to financial reporting, especially in the area of the statutory duty of auditing. In addition, quantitative research was conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between the size of the accounting entity and the auditor’s opinion. At the 5% significance level, no such dependence has been found for any of the V4 countries, but at the 10% significance level, the dependence has already been proved in case of the Republic of Poland and Hungary. The practical value of the obtained results is the knowledge of how to manage accounting standards for business entities in the V4 countries, as well as to determine the statutory duty to audit financial statements. These results might be of a special practical importance for business managers, tax authorities, and auditors operating in the EU countries.

One of the objectives of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 is to assess the amount of water leakage in water supply systems (WSS) and to reduce it if it exceeds a certain threshold. The Directive is binding on water supply companies supplying at least 10,000 m3/d or serving at least 50,000 consumers. The problem of water losses due to, among other things, aging infrastructure currently requires appropriate action to be taken by WSS management companies. This paper discusses the problem of water losses in the Visegrad Group countries and the challenges and opportunities associated with it. In order to analyze the problem, a bibliometric analysis of the state of knowledge was performed. The results of the literature review present the current directions of research on this topic in the V4 countries as former communist bloc countries. The strengths and weaknesses identified in the paper can be used to plan water loss reduction by water supply companies, researchers, and legislators.

Human resource management in the SME segment is a complex process that involves many different factors. The aim of this study is to define the significant attributes of HRM in SMEs and compare attitudes within the three most significant business sectors in the individual Visegrad Group (V4) countries. Empirical research focused on the attitudes of small and medium-sized enterprises was conducted in June 2022 in the V4 countries. Data collection was carried out by the external agency MNFORCE using the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) research method. Within this research, selected attitudes of SMEs in the field of human resource management in the three most important sectors within the individual V4 countries were examined. The sample size was represented by 995 respondents. Statistical hypotheses were tested using descriptive statistics and Z-scores at a significance level of α = 5%. A positive finding is that within the examined sample, SMEs consider people in the company to be the most important capital and perceive human resource management positively in the context of corporate management. As a negative trend, the insufficient evaluation of employee performance by SMEs can be noted, and the level of investment in human capital is significantly limited. The most common differences in SME attitudes were found when comparing manufacturing companies with the service sector and the trade sector, which is determined by the peculiarities of the transformation process in these companies.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the validity of Gibrat’s law for a sample of travel agents from the Visegrad group (V4) countries and to identify the size-growth relationship. Using a linear auto-regressive model and ordinary least squares estimator, we rejected the validity of Gibrat’s law in the V4 countries (except Poland, where the results were mixed). The smallest firms tend to grow faster than their larger counterparts. Using quantile regression models, we concluded that the size-growth link differed depending on actual firm size. Before reaching minimum efficient scale (MES), there is a positive relationship between firm growth and firm size. This relationship is negative after reaching MES: the smaller firms grow faster than bigger ones. Gibrat’s law tends to be valid in the population of firms that have reached MES. This shows that economies and diseconomies of scale could play a significant role in explaining the size-growth relationship of travel agents.

This article focuses on analysing the consequences of Brexit for the European Union and its Member States, with particular emphasis on the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. Through the prism of neorealism theory, the changes in the balance of power and international dynamics resulting from Great Britain’s exit from the EU are analysed. The aim is not only to identify specific Brexit outcomes but also to understand the mechanisms influencing relations among European states, especially in the future. In this context, neorealist analysis becomes a particularly valuable tool, allowing us to view Brexit not only as a one-time incident but also as a manifestation of broader trends in global international relations which may adopt disintegrative stances in the future.

The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection(Salvia, Azul, Brandli, Wall, Filho, 2021). Energy is at the forefront of the development agenda. Recognizing energy's vital role in development and prosperity, the world has committed to Sustainable Development Goal 7 to Affordable and Clean Energy (Banerjee, Moreno, Primiani, Seong, Sinton, 2017). This presented study discusses problems related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, based on the example of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The introduction addresses the general characteristics of the V4 and attempts to define the concept of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on its complex nature and importance for future generations. The purpose of the research is to assess the diversity within the Visegrad Group countries in terms of affordable and Clean Energy. The study conducted in the article shows in that between 2009 and 2020, the Visegrad Group countries differed significantly due to all aspects of sustainable energy adopted by the European Union for monitoring sustainable development in the area of Affordable and Clean Energy.

This study investigates the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, focusing on the changing relevance of cost-, market-, and institutional-related factors. The analysis employs a panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (P-ARDL) model and panel Granger causality tests to examine both the long-run and short-run relationships between FDI and a set of macroeconomic, and institutionalrelated variables. The dataset covers the V4 countries over a time span between 1996 and 2023 and captures both permanent and transitory changes in determinants of FDI. The results show that in the long-run, average wage levels and government effectiveness are significant structural determinants, highlighting the importance of institutional quality and labour costs in FDI location decisions. In the short term, FDI inwards are mainly influenced by GDP growth, R&D expenditure, trade openness, and inflation dynamics. The results indicating the significance of factors determining FDI in the Visegrad Group countries may be of particular importance for policymakers seeking to enhance investment attractiveness in a globally unstable economic environment.