Central and Eastern Europe in the EU: Challenges and Perspectives Under Crisis Conditions

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Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of illustrations List of contributors Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: the EU under crisis conditions: Central and Eastern European perspectives The eurozone sovereign debt crisis Brexit The refugee crisis and the migration challenge Positioning the CEEs in a changing environment References Part I: Central and Eastern Europe in the EU’s changing internal and external dimension 2. Positioning the CEE region in the EU’s core-periphery divide Introduction EU accession and ‘adaptive Europeanisation’ through conditionality Declining EU legitimacy and transition “backsliding” The poisoned chalice of German leadership in the EU Conclusion: avoiding the permanent peripheralisation of the CEEs References 3. A rift in European integration? Neglected shadows of the Central and Eastern European transformation Introduction Conceptual framework The historical legacy of ‘in-betweenness’ The model of capitalism in Central and Eastern Europe Societal embeddedness of economic transformation Woundedness and victimization Conclusion Notes References 4. Perpetual crises, the return of geopolitics and the emergence of a new normalcy in Central Europe Introduction Placing the V4 in an increasingly fragile context V4 and their economic performance: catching up and backsliding Visegrád 4: political turmoil Conclusion References 5. Central European relations in turbulent times Introduction Trade relations The Central European manufacturing core German FDI inflows into V4 after the 2008 global crisis The Hungarian case Conclusion Acknowledgement Notes References Part II: National perspectives: between good citizenship and backsliding 6. European Union at the crossroads: which route will poland take? Introduction Poland’s membership in the EU: a balance of challenges and benefits The refugee crisis as a catalyst of the changes of Poland’s European policy Brexit: will the UK remain the most important ally for the Polish government in the EU? Conclusions Notes References 7. Hungary in the Visegrád group: Introducing a three-level game approach Introduction Theoretical background The polity of Visegrád and Hungary V4 Policies and Hungary Hungary and politics in the V4 cooperation Conclusion Notes References 8. Slovakia: a farewell to a passive policy-taker role? Introduction: welcome to the country of the ‘in between’ Successful consolidation and the death of the ‘Tatra tiger’ The refugee crisis paradox: a virtual problem with real and enduring consequences Conclusion Notes References 9. The politics of internal and external migration in the enlarged EU: Bulgaria and Romania from policy-takers to policy-makers? Introduction Romania and Bulgaria: the ‘laggards’ of the EU’s Eastern enlargement The politics of posted workers: internal EU migration and Brexit The refugee crisis: a window of opportunity? Unfinished business: Schengen area membership and visa free regimes The threat of veto in the CETA negotiations Conclusion Notes References 10. The Baltic States in the EU: committed europhiles or geopolitical hostages? Introduction: Baltic EU policy priorities and premises Participation in the Single Market Efforts to ensure energy security Conclusion References 11. The new kid on the block: Croatia’s EU membership in the shadow of the eurozone crisis Introduction Privatisation and the creation of political capitalism Economic performance before and after the crisis Croatia’s EU membership Labour market reforms Tax reforms Conclusions Notes References Part III: The Visegrád cooperation – challenges for a semi-institutionalised regional group 12. Internal and external aspects of the Visegrád 4 cooperation Introduction V4 as an informally institutionalized regional initiative Four dimensions of cooperation Factors undermining the internal cohesion of the V4 Visegrád inspirational? Potential for coalition building at EU level Solidarity: the crucial concept Visegrád recycleable? Future challenges and opportunities Notes References 13. The dual crisis and ‘regionalization’ in the Visegrád states: the identity politics of East-Central Europe in the new world order Introduction: the Visegrád states in the emerging new world order The new world order and its implications for wider Europe The ‘perverse’ regionalism and the ‘alienation’ of Visegrád states Conclusion: the V4 region’s alternative to Europeanization or peripheralization Notes References 14. Cooperation or integration? The new defence initiatives in the Visegrád group Introduction The foreign and security policies of the V4 countries The military strength of the V4 countries The evolution of defence cooperation V4 EU Battlegroup 2016 Moving to the permanent modular force Conclusion Notes References 15. Conclusion: perspectives and new directions for central and Eastern Europe in the EU References Index