This presentation provides an assessment of Hungary’s EU membership by investigating how the country’s economic and political development has been shaped by the interplay between the EU’s regulatory environment and domestic policies since accession in 2004. The central question it seeks to answer is the extent to which Hungary has capitalized on the opportunities offered by EU membership and how this is reflected in policy areas most relevant to economic growth and convergence. This research examines how EU funds have impacted Hungarian companies, and how they have shaped regional inequalities within the country. In recent years, EU Structural and Cohesion Funds have become a key source of financing for the Hungarian economy. However, thus far, we know very little about the impact of these funds on regional inequalities or who the money ultimately reached and how it was used in the economy. We evaluate the impact of these funds on regional inequalities, highlighting their role in shaping Hungary’s territorial development. The research also analyses the effectiveness of EU funds in supporting domestic businesses, integrating funding data with corporate financial reports to assess practical outcomes. Together, these analyses provide a nuanced understanding of how EU funding has influenced Hungary’s economic landscape. We also explore the extent to which Hungary has implemented country-specific recommendations in European comparison, and identify patterns of compliance and resistance. Our analysis also investigates which types of recommendations are more likely to be transposed by the Hungarian government and which the latter is more likely to disregard.

The paper aims to assess Poland’s EU policy after 2023 national parliamentary elections. After eight years of rule by the Law and Justice party, which involved introducing the idea of ​​illiberal democracy and a Eurosceptic perception of the EU, liberal parties with a positive attitude towards European integration have returned to power. In the postfunctionalist view, public and party preferences lie at the core of theorizing on European integration, making the latter a highly politicized phenomenon. With this in mind, the paper’s thesis is the view that the basic foundations of Poland’s EU policy remain stable, and this is the form, not the substance, that distinguishes the new government from the previous one. The practice of the new coalition shows that it has adopted an ultra-pragmatic approach based on the current political trends. The research question therefore concerns the positioning of Poland’s policy on the scale of the willingness to carry out significant EU reforms. Two hypotheses are subject to preliminary verification. According to H1, Poland’s new EU policy is regressive, since domestically it is still based on reluctance towards three major EU reforms (migration pact, European Green Deal, CFSP reform). According to H2, Poland’s new EU policy is a Europeanist one, because it fits into the mainstream of non-Eurosceptic governments of other member states. The paper methodology is based on decision-making, factor, and comparative analysis.

Turbulent global context, marked by unpredictable geopolitical dynamics, imposes consideration of strategic autonomy and adequate use of competitive advantages of structurally and historically different economies and societies in the EU. This paper deals with the specifics of the position of the Republic of Croatia at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, between western and eastern influences, on important traffic and energy corridors.

Croatia was the last country to join the EU in 2013. Its experience is very useful for other accession countries. Ten years after accession, in 2023, Croatia was admitted to both the Schengen area and the Eurozone, with solid economic performance. The paper will analyze advantages of Croatia's position, effects and challenges of its accession to the European Union and elaborate the impact of current geopolitical changes on the local economy and society.