Ten years after the accession of Central and Eastern Europe countries in the EU: evaluation in comparison to the transition in former Soviet Republic
Ten years after the accession of Central and Eastern Europe countries in the EU: evaluation in comparison to the transition in former Soviet Republic

Summary/Abstract: This paper deals with the process which happened in ten countries, former communist economies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC), which joined the European Union (EU) between 2004 and 2007. Recession was severe both in CEEC and in the former Soviet Republics (FSR) after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of USSR in 1991. The transformation was very deep both from an economic and political perspective. However, I argue, during the transformation and the economic recovery CEEC were favored by EU conditionality and membership, while FSR were not involved this process. EU membership might have been the crucial factor which influenced the transition in CEEC and which determined better performance. Moreover, political transition (concerning civil rights, political liberties, and traditional liberal values) was more successful in CEEC than in FSR. In this respect, the role played by the EU, was crucial for New Member States.

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