Выпуск 4/2024:20 лет спустя. Европа все еще едина?

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Twenty years ago, the European Union experienced its largest enlargement ever, the alleged large Bang, with the addition of 10 fresh associate states. This enlargement included many of the countries in our region – Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the 3 Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This momentous occasion marked the culmination of hard work by the EU and the post-socialist countries, which aptly referred to it as the final “return to Europe”. With a recently united Europe (and more members on the way), it seems as that Euro-optimism had reached its pinnacle moment.

And since 2004, the fresh associate states have surely made any remarkable achievements. The GDP per capita in purchasing power parity of the fresh states grew from 59 per cent of the EU average in 2004 to 81 per cent in 2022. The income gap between the older and newer states has besides narrowed over the last 20 years. any countries’ surviving standards, specified as Czechia or Slovenia, have even surpassed those of older EU members.

Yet, at the same time, these past 2 decades were not without challenges. Issues related to democratic backsliding, the regulation of law and corruption have tainted the legacy of the enlargement. Voices in many western European capitals began questioning whether the enlargement itself was besides soon. After a series of crises hit the EU, which began with the 2008 financial crisis, a emergence in Euroscepticism began to counter the accomplishments of the erstwhile generation of Euro-optimists and putting a major damper on any future enlargements.

Thus, the question present is: how united is Europe after these past 20 years? Certainly, the east-west divide remains a point of contention. However, another issues have besides emerged, specified as the emergence of far-right populism and the debate over support for Ukraine. These phenomena can be found throughout Europe, and especially worth considering following the elections to the European parliament this June. As geopolitics one more time becomes a key origin in European decision-making, we can only hope that unity prevails over division. Otherwise, the legacy of the EU large Bang will be lost to the past books.

Table of Contents

Is Europe inactive united?

Give European democracy a chance. An enlarged Europe turns 20 Ferenc Laczó
Adolescence is over. Time for updates to the Central European growth model Konrad Popławski
Navigating fresh safety threats requires a change in focus Anna Dohnalová
The Baltics have grown up. Do not call them fresh associate states Stefano Braghiroli
Hungarian metamorphosis. From returning to Europe to occupying Brussels Zsuzsanna Végh
The ability to reconcile is simply a mark of a nation’s maturity A conversation with Milan Kučan
By allowing Western Balkans democracy to falter for 2 decades, the EU has trapped itself Alexandra Karppi

Essays and analysis

The changing communicative of Chinese abroad policy Konrad Szatters
Lessons about cyber warfare from Russia’s war against Ukraine Maria Branea and Leon Hartwell
Is Klaipėda worth a war? Oleh Dunda
Russian aggression against Ukraine. No peace in sight Yulia Kazdobina
Ukrainian media at war. Battles behind, battles ahead Aleksander Palikot
A parallel planet of co-existence in Montenegro Svenja Petersen
Why Turkey’s ambitions are focused on the South Caucasus Karolina Wanda Olszowska

Interviews

How Putin entangled Germany in Schröder’s net An interview with Markus Wehner and Reinhard Bingener
Making the invisible seen. The Baltic conflict for independence A conversation with Una Bergmane

Stories and ideas

How Lukashenka’s government silences the Belarusian free press Darya Grishchuk
The Polish pioneers and the unexpected hardships of migrating to Canada Małgorzata Sidz
The 80th anniversary of a tragedy that continues until today Piotr Andrusieczko

Art, culture and society

What remains ariel rosé
In Croatia, ecology and art mend the wounds of the past Tatjana Đorđević
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been misunderstood for besides long JP O’Malley

History and memory

The 1863 uprising and the shared legacy of the Commonwealth Wiktor Babinski
A man outside the strategy Oleksii Lionchuk