Twenty years after enlargement: review of the achievements and the future role of V4 cooperation

Husár, Milan; Jaššo, Matej; Husar, Sila Ceren Varış

doi:1429-7132 (print)

Skip to main menu
Skip to search engine
Skip to content
Skip to footer

Download

Title: Twenty years after enlargement: review of the achievements and the future role of V4 cooperation

Abstract:

This paper seeks to critically evaluate the evolution, dynamics and future prospects of cooperationa mong the Visegrád Group (V4) – Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – within the broader context of European integration and spatial aspects of development. While the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement provides the motivation for the study, the central goal is to evaluate how V4 cooperation has contributed to, responded to and was shaped by major territorial, political, and socio-economic transformations over the past two decades. Employing a mixed-method approach, this research integrates statistical data from Eurostat and the output from existing relevant research on V4 countries to gauge the economic development trajectory and the impacts on these countries, as well as semi-structured interviews with senior academics, including planners, economists, and public administration experts. Our mixed-method methodology combines quantitative assessments of economic development indicators with qualitative insights from interviews to provide a comprehensive understanding of the V4 countries’ development post-EU accession. The key themes include economic development including statistical trends in economic indicators, focusing on GDP growth and convergence with the EU average over the past two decades; socio-economic convergence, focusing on the success of socio-economic convergence at the community level while acknowledging the rise in territorial inequalities at sub-regional and local levels; the impact of structural funds on local government units, evaluating their role in developing technical and social infrastructure and addressing territorial disparities; functional linkages, particularly how the enlargement influenced functional linkages within the EU, especially the interaction between the V4 countries and the ‘old’ Member States; and challenges and disparities focusing on uneven effects of various challenges, including economic crises, migratory patterns, geopolitical conflicts, and external shocks, on the spatial distribution of winners and losers.

References:

Ágh, A. (2016). The Decline of Democracy in East-Central Europe: Hungary as the Worst-Case Scenario. Problems of Post-Communism, 63(5-6), 277-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2015.1113383
Ambroziak, Ł., Chojna, J., Gniadek, J., Juszczak, A., Miniszewski, M., Strzelecki, J., Szpor, A., Śliwowski, P., Święcicki, I., & Wąsiński, M. (2020). The Visegrad Group - 30 Years of Transformation, Integration and Development. Warsaw: Polish Economic Institute.
Bachtler, J., Mendez, C., & Wishlade, F. (2013). EU Cohesion Policy and European Integration: The Dynamics of EU Budget and Regional Policy Reform. London: Ashgate Publishing.
Bočková, N. (2013). Visegrad Four countries: evaluation in R&D sectors of performance. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 61(4), 873-880. https://doi.org/10.11118/actaun201361040873
Chetverikova, A. S. (2020). The Visegrad countries in the EU: Economic results. Mirovaia ekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnosheniia, 64(2), 63-70. https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2020-64-2-63-70
Ciderova, D., & Kovacevic, D. (2015). Visegrad Meets Visegrad: the Visegrad Four and the Western Balkans Six 5. 4th International Scientific Forum.
Cottey, A. (1999). The Visegrad Group and Beyond: Security Cooperation in Central Europe In A., Cottey (Ed.). Subregional Cooperation in the New Europe (pp. 69-89). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Csaki, C., Forgacs, C., & Jambor, A. (2008). Agricultural Economics and Transition: What was Expected, what We Observed, the Lessons Learned. Studies on the Agricultural and Food Sector in Central and Eastern Europe, 44.
Dangerfield, M. (2008). The Visegrád Group in the Expanded European Union: From Preaccession to Postaccession Cooperation. East European Politics and Societies, 22(3), 630-667. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888325408315840
Dorogi, Z. (2022). How Does the Creative Economy Shape the Use of Space? In Z., Ladzianska (Ed.). Visions for 2030. Urban Development Trends of the Visegrad4 Region (pp. 46-51). Budapest: Hungarian Society for Urban Planning.
Dühr, S., & Belof, M. (2020). Social Learning in Transnational Spatial Planning Processes: An Analysis of the 'V4+2' Cooperation on Spatial Development. Planning Practice & Research, 35(2), 148-168. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2020.1726133
Dühr, S., Colomb, C., & Nadin, V. (2010). European Spatial Planning and Territorial Cooperation. Oxfordshire: Routledge.
Dustmann, C., & Frattini, T. (2011). The Economic and Social Impact of Return Migration in Central and Eastern Europe. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Dutta, A. (2023). A divided "Visegrad Four" navigates relations with the European Union. New Delhi: Observer Research Foundation.
EBSCO (2025). BSCO Knowledge Advantage, Poland. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/researchstarters/geography-and-cartography/poland
EC (2024). European Innovation Scoreboard 2024 Country Profile Hungary. European Commission. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/assets/rtd/eis/2024/ec_rtd_eis-country-profile-hu.pdf
EC (2024). European Innovation Scoreboard 2024. Country Profile Slovakia. European Commission. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/assets/rtd/eis/2024/ec_rtd_eis-country-profile-sk.pdf
EC (2025). Digital Decade 2025 Country Report - Poland. European Commission. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/redirection/document/116919
Eurostat (2025). Real GDP per capita. Eurostat. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tipsna40/default/table?lang=en
Eurostat (2025). R&D personnel and researchers by sector of performance, fields of R&D and sex. Eurostat. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/rd_p_perssci/default/table?lang=en
FE (2013, February 21). Czech minister arrives Mar 10. The Financial Express. Retrieved from https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/education-youth/czech-minister-arrives-mar-10
Finka, M., Jamečný, Ľ., & Ondrejička, V. (2022). Urban Safety as a Spatial Quality in Smart Eco Cities. In Z., Ladzianska (Ed.). Visions for 2030. Urban Development Trends of the Visegrad4 Region (pp. 64-70). Budapest: Hungarian Society for Urban Planning.
GDD Pulse (2025). Unlocking Eastern Europe's Potential: GCC, GBS, and Shared Services as Strategic Hubs. GDD Pulse. Retrieved from https://gcc-pulse.com/cities-hubs/unlocking-eastern-europespotential-gcc-gbs-and-shared-services-as-strategic-hubs/
Hayes, N. (2003). Základy sociální psychologie [Social Psychology Basics]. Praha: Portál.
Hoffman, I. (2023). Local development policies in the V4 countries - in the light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Comparative Politics, 16(1), 64-79.
IMF (2018). Hungary: 2018 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Hungary. IMF Country Report No. 18/212. Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484372371.002
Ivanová, E., & Žárská, V. (2023). R&D expenditure as a determinant of the aggregate innovation index in the V4 countries. Innovative Marketing, 19(2), 87-100. https://doi.org/10.21511/im.19(2).2023.08
Janebová, P., & Végh, Z. (2019). Trends of Visegrad foreign policy. Association for International Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.amo.cz/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/AMO_Trendy_2019.pdf
Jasiecki, K. (2016). Economic cooperation among the Visegrad Countries. The Visegrad countries in crisis. Warsaw: Collegium Civitas.
Kahanec, M., & Zimmermann, K. F. (2010). Migration in an Enlarged EU: A Challenging Solution? In F., Keereman & I., Szekely (Eds.). Five Years of an Enlarged EU (pp. 63-94). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12516-4_5
Kajánek, T. (2022). The migration strategies and positions on the EU migration and asylum agenda: evidence from the Visegrad Group countries. Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, 8(3), 202-219. https://doi.org/10.47305/JLIA2283202k%20
Kaniok, P., & Hloušek, V. (2025). Visegrad four as an institution in times of EU crises. European Politics and Society, 26(5), 1070-1088. https://doi.org/10.1080/23745118.2025.2488815
Koišová, E., Masárová, J., & Ivanová, E. (2021). Socio-demographic potential of human resources in the Visegrad regions. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 22(4), 1026-1046. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2021.14541
Kollár, D., Miskolczi, B., Masik, G., Martinaitis, G., Reid, J., & Kollár, J. (2024). Territorial exaptive resilience along EU eastern borders: TERRA RES final report. ESPON. Retrieved from https://www.espon.eu/sites/default/files/2024-12/terra_res_final_report.pdf
Kovács, Z., Csachová, S., Ferenc, M., Hruška, V., & Konopski, M. (2015). Development policies on rural peripheral areas in Visegrad countries: a comparative policy analysis. Studia Obszarów Wiejskich, 39, 77-102. https://doi.org/10.7163/SOW.39.6
Kowalska, A., Kovarnik, J., Hamplova, E., & Prazak, P. (2018). The selected topics for comparison in Visegrad four countries. Economies, 6(3), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies6030050
Kozminski, A. K. (1993). Catching Up? Organizational and Management Change in the Ex Socialist Block. Berlin/New York, NY: Walter de Gruyter.
Lendvai‐Bainton, N., & Szelewa, D. (2021). Governing new authoritarianism: Populism, nationalism and radical welfare reforms in Hungary and Poland. Social Policy & Administration, 55(4), 559-572. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12642
Lukáč, P., & Gyarfásová, O. (2002). The Role of History and Identity in Shaping Transatlantic Relations. In M., Štastný (Ed.). Visegrad Countries in an Enlarged Transatlantic Community (pp. 11-46). Bratislava: Institute for Public Affairs.
Macek, L. (2021). What Left of the - Visegrád Group. Policy Brief, Jacques Delors Institute. Retrieved from https://institutdelors.eu/content/uploads/2025/04/PB_210311_What-is-left-of-the-VisegradGroup_Macek_EN.pdf
Maris, M. (2014). Evolution of Regional Disparities in Spatial Dimension Urban versus Rural in V4 Countries. Proceedings of 5th Central European Conference in Regional Science.
Matlovič, R., Klamár, R., Kozoň, J., Ivanová, M. and Michalko, M. (2018). Spatial polarity and spatial polarization in the context of supranational and national scales: regions of Visegrad countries after their accession to the EU. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 41, 59-78. http://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2018-0026
Mura, L., Zsigmond, T., Kovács, Á., & Baloghova, É. (2020). Unemployment and GDP Relationship Analysis in the Visegrad Four Countries. Online Journal Modelling the New Europe, 34, 118-134. https://doi.org/10.24193/OJMNE.2020.34.06
Nałęcz, T. (Ed.). (2012). Transboundary aquifers in the eastern borders of the European Union: regional cooperation for effective management of water resources. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer Science & Business Media.
Novotný, L., Csachová, S., Kulla, M., Nestorová-Dická, J., & Pregi, L. (2016). Development trajectories of small towns in East Slovakia. European Countryside, 8(4), 373-394. https://doi.org/10.1515/euco-2016-0026
Pakulski, J. (Ed.). (2016). The Visegrad countries in crisis. Warsaw: Collegium Civitas.
Pawera, R., Domonkos, L. B., & Hakszer, R. (2017). Impact Analysis of Slovak-Hungarian Cross Border Cooperation Projects. International Journal of Management Science and Business Administration, 3(3), 7-16. https://doi.org/10.18775/IJMSBA.1849-5664-5419.2014.33.1001
Petrakos, G., Tsiapa, M., & Kallioras, D. (2016). Regional inequalities in the European Neighborhood Policy countries: The effects of growth and integration. Environment and Planning C: government and policy, 34(4), 698-716.
Piatkowski, M. (2018). Europe's growth champion: Insights from the economic rise of Poland. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198789345.001.0001
Piwowar, A., & Dzikuc, M. (2020). Poverty and social exclusion: is this a problem in rural areas in the Visegrad group countries? European Research Studies Journal, XXIII(2), 45-54. https://doi.org/10.35808/ersj/1579
Poledníková, E. (2014). Regional classification: The case of the Visegrad Four. Ekonomická revue - Central European Review of Economic Issues, 17(1), 25-37. https://doi.org/10.7327/cerei.2014.03.03
Popescu, G. (2012). Bordering and Ordering the Twenty-first Century: Understanding Borders. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Potluka, O., Derlukiewicz, N., Gombitová, D., Horáková, J., Jílková, J., Kocziszky, G., Korenik, S., Košťál, C., Kunze, C., Kuttor, D., Louda, J., Makarevich, T., Nemec, J., Pisár, P., Rogowska, M., Slintáková, B., Špaček, M., Švecová, L., & Woitek, F. F. (2010). Impact of EU Cohesion Policy in Central Europe. Leipzig: Leipziger Universitätsverlag.
Ptáček, P., & Smolík, J. (2022). Territorial Administrative Division of the Czech Republic: Completion of the Reform after 20 Years? In E., Kancik-Kołtun (Ed.). 30 Years of the Visegrad Group: Political, Legal, and Social Issues and Challenges (pp. 11-26). Lublin: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Press.
Radovici, M. C. M., & Danko, L. (2023). Regional Dynamics of Two European Clusters: Cooperative Financial Tools and Collective Support as Part of V4 Presidencies' Foreign Approach Towards WB6 Partners. Romanian Journal of European Affairs, 23(1), 93-112.
Rodriguez-Pose, A., Dijkstra, L., & Dorati, C. (2025). Paying for Euroscepticism. JRC Working Papers on Territorial Modelling and Analysis, 9. The Joint Research Centre: EU Science Hub, European Commission.
Salamin, G. (2022). From Europeanisation to integrated urban development. In Z., Ladzianska (Ed.). Visions for 2030. Urban Development Trends of the Visegrad4 Region (pp. 52-63). Budapest: Hungarian Society for Urban Planning.
SARIO (2023). Industries & regions overviews. Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency. Retrieved from https://www.sario.sk/en/invest-slovakia/industries-regions-overviews
Statista (2025). Distribution of gross domestic product (GDP) across economic sectors in Czechia 2013 to 2023. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/369830/share-of-economicsectors-in-the-gdp-czechia/
Stepper, P. (2017). Visegrad Cooperation Beyond the Polish and During the Hungarian V4 Presidency. Foreign Policy Review, 10(1), 93-107.
Taterová, E. (2022). Pro-Israeli Diplomacy of the Czech Republic as the Exceptional Case in the European Union: Historical Context, Interpretations, Current Challenges. In E., Kancik-Kołtun (Ed.). 30 Years of the Visegrad Group: Political, Legal, and Social Issues and Challenges (pp. 27-40). Lublin: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Press.
Topaloglou, L., Kallioras, D., Manetos, P., & Petrakos, G. (2005). A Border Regions Typology in the Enlarged European Union. Journal of Borderlands Studies, 20(2), 67-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/08865655.2005.9695644
Tóth, B. L. (2019). The Visegrád Group and railway interest articulation in CEE. Eastern Journal of European Studies, 10(2), 90-109.
Tóth, B. L. (2023). Railway cooperation among V4 states - The role of political spillovers in rail transport integration. Doctoral dissertation, Corvinus University of Budapest. Retrieved from https://phd.lib.uni-corvinus.hu/1316/1/toth_balint_den.pdf
Végh, Z. (2018). From Pro-European Alliance to Eurosceptic Protest Group? The case of the Visegrad Group. European Policy Analysis, 2018(7), 1-12.
Walsch, C. (2014). Visegrad Four in the European Union. An efficient regional cooperation scheme? International Issues & Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs, 23(1-2), 25-41.
Wibisono, E. (2023). Knowledge input and innovation in Visegrad Group (V4) regions: A spatial econometric approach. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 59, 111-130. http://doi.org/10.12775/bgss-2023-0008