Authors: Ákos Holányi, Boglárka Koller

In: JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.70143.

Abstract

A growing number of subregional groups influence European Union policy-making as platforms of information exchange, expertise pooling or compromise-building. Yet, our understanding of how they function as policy-making actors remains limited. This article seeks to alleviate this knowledge gap by developing the concept of subregional actorness and proposing an empirical typology based on political will and policy convergence. It uses examples from the Visegrad Group’s activities in the fields of enlargement, foreign affairs and migration to show how subregional co-operation looks like in each of the four proposed modes of actorness. The analysis suggests that the quality of top politicians’ personal relationships with each other and the presence of political differences of strategic importance are the most influential factors shaping subregional actorness, but the impact of policy crises and the history of close co-operation in a given policy field are also important.

A Holányi, Á., Koller, B.: Four Modes of Subregional Actorness in the EU: The Case of the V4 bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Authors: Vít Hloušek, Krisztina Arató and Boglárka Koller

In: Foreign policy narratives of Central and Eastern European political parties, European Politics and Society,

DOI: 10.1080/23745118.2026.2717313

Abstract

This article analyses foreign policy narratives articulated by political parties in Central Europe, focusing on Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia across two electoral cycles surrounding Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The study demonstrates the predominance of liberal–internationalist and sovereigntist–isolationist narratives. The analysis confirms that the economic left–right divide is a weak predictor of foreign policy orientations, whereas the GAL–TAN cleavage and the presence of populism – particularly radical-right populism – are more consequential. Overall, the research underscores the interdependence of domestic politics and foreign policy, while highlighting persistent diversity in Central European party narratives.

A Hloušek, V., Arató, K., Koller, B.: Foreign policy narratives of Central and Eastern European political parties bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Authors: Petr Procházka, Eva Křenková, Gábor Túry

In: Logistics Research, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/LORE-06-2025-0082

Abstract

This paper examines how automotive manufacturers in Hungary and Czechia have implemented resilience and sustainability measures within new product development (NPD). Building on the resource dependence theory (RDT), it uses data from eleven in-depth interviews triangulated with suppliers’ codes of conduct and non-financial reports. Resilience considerations and dependencies, as expected by RDT, shape the NPD decisions and sustainability is embedded, especially when prompted by customers or company needs for higher efficiency.

The research is limited by the selection of large companies as well as by the sample size, while the case study approach enables us to dive into the strategies. The research pointed to the importance of strategic procurement and the role of original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) and multinationals’ management in the operational process. We contribute to extant literature by linking supply chain resilience and sustainability with NPD in an asymmetric and dependency-driven process.

A Procházka, P., Křenková E., Túry, G.: Integrating resilience and sustainability in new product development by Central European automotive firms: is there synergy or two independent concepts? bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Authors: Judit Ricz, Andrea Éltető

In: Society and Economy in Central and Eastern Europe, 48(2), 64-91.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14267/1588970X.2026.015

Abstract

The article analyses non-state actor (NSA) agency at the intersection of autocratisation and new industrial policies. We focus on Hungary, an EU Member State that aims to become a leading global player in the electric vehicle sector, particularly in EV battery production. Besides the already functioning South Korean plants, numerous Chinese firms have been attracted to the country by extremely generous state support to build giga-factories. However, battery-related plants face opposition from the local population. Under the Hungarian autocratic regime, the space for NSA agency is increasingly shrinking, yet our focus is narrowed to analysing non-governmental organisations. We ask whether organised civil society can exercise political or domain-specific agency in an autocratising regime. Bottom-up initiatives against the battery factories mushroomed in all the affected Hungarian localities, which increasingly cooperated with each other, and even set up an umbrella organisation at the national level. Some important achievements are documented. To illustrate the causes of the limited non-state actor activism and nevertheless account for how impactful changes have occurred, the article analyses the experiences of two local associations: GÖD-ÉRT (the For Göd Association) and MIAKÖ (the Mothers of Mikepércs for the Environment Association). At the time of study, both have been forced to operate in an increasingly repressive setting.

A Ricz, J., Éltető, A.: The non-state actor contestation of battery factory investments in Hungary: the activism of GÖD-ÉRT and MIAKÖ bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Authors: Judit Ricz, Andrea Éltető In: Journal of Economic Policy Reform, 1–29. (2026).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17487870.2026.2680291

Abstract

New industrial policy has (re-)gained legitimacy in scholarly debates recently, as a means to boost and direct development. This article argues that autocratic leaders may exploit this policy to strengthen their domestic and international power position. By combining international and comparative political economy perspectives, we analyse the main logic, instruments, and limits of the Hungarian government’s new industrial policy to promote the electric vehicle battery sector. The case study illustrates how the Orbán regime manipulated the institutional and regulatory setting and applied selective (non-)enforcement of regulations – theorised as autocratic forbearance – to create locational advantages for Asian battery firms.

A Ricz, J., Éltető, A.: Rules for sale: autocratic forbearance, as a new industrial policy tool to promote the Hungarian battery hub bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Authors: Agnieszka Głodowska, Agnieszka Hajdukiewicz, Bożena Pera, Csaba Weiner

In: The World Economy, Early View, (2026) 1–18.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/TWEC.70110

Absztrakt

This article examines the impact of the European Union’s post-March 2014 and post-February 2022 sanctions episodes against Russia on trade between Russia and the Visegrad countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) over 2013–2024. Changes are analysed at both the aggregate level and—based on an original identification of EU sanction coverage—across selected sanctioned product chapters and non-sanctioned reference groups. The empirical framework combines descriptive statistics on the distribution of the selected product groups with two complementary econometric approaches: a gravity-based Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood model (PPML) with fixed effects, estimated in a difference-in-differences design relative to control markets, and a PPML interrupted time-series model used as a robustness check to identify structural breaks and post-intervention trends. Empirically, the effects of EU sanctions on Visegrad exports to Russia were strongly negative already under the post-March 2014 sanctions regime, particularly for highly sanctioned manufactured product groups such as machinery and electrical equipment, and intensified further following the substantial expansion of sanctions after February 2022. Import effects were initially weaker but intensified markedly from 2022 onward, most notably for energy sources. The findings point to episode-specific trade responses, pronounced heterogeneity across product groups, and a clear asymmetry between export and import adjustments.

A Głodowska, A., Hajdukiewicz, A., Pera, B., & Weiner, C.: Trade Effects of EU Sanctions against Russia: Evidence from the Visegrad Group bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Author: Boglárka Koller

In: Európai Tükör 2025/1.

DOI: 10.32559/et.2025.1.1

Abstract

War affects most seriously both personal and collective attachments. The ongoing Russian–Ukrainian war poses a direct security threat to the European Union and its citizens, and also has a significant impact on the EU’s economy, politics and society. The ongoing challenges to peace and stability in Europe are prompting a re evaluation of national, regional, and European identities among EU citizens. The study focuses on the Visegrád countries – Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Chech Republic – where historical heritage, experiences as EU Member States over the past twenty years, and proximity to conflict have shaped distinct identity dynamics. Utilising a comparative approach informed by public opinion survey data, we are tracking the transformation of collective identities in the period 2022–2025, capturing long term trends and the effects of the war in Ukraine. What can we learn about the collective identity of EU citizens in the region? Has the war brought citizens closer to, or further away from the European Union? This study aims to present this dual dynamic and highlight the constantly changing interaction between national and European identity in a region that is geographically close to the war and located at the crossroads of historical memory and contemporary geopolitical turbulence.

A Koller, B.: The Collective Identities of Central Europeans in the Shadow of War, 2022–2025 bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Author: John Szabo

In: Publications Europa (ed.): European Union encyclopedia and directory 2026. London: Routledge, 2025. pp. 209-213.

ISSN: 9781003632382

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003632382

Abstract

Confronted with mounting issues, including a worsening climate crisis, trade wars and escalating military conflicts, European policymakers are being forced to design energy policy tools that ensure access to fossil fuels and enable the emergence of a system dominated by renewable energy. Action on the latter is especially pressing, as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts has indicated that June 2025 is likely to rank among the top five warmest Junes on record, and the World Meteorological Organization confirmed in January that 2024 was the warmest year on record. In parallel, there is a rising consensus that while fossil fuels are indispensable in the short to medium term, the quicker the European Union (EU) can pivot to renewables and, possibly, nuclear power, the quicker it will be able to ensure energy security for consumers. The EU has taken action to facilitate the energy transition, but it has balanced this with measures aimed at short-term objectives that ensure access to fossil fuels. This essay provides an overview of the EU’s energy policy between mid-2024 and mid-2025, highlighting the challenges that have emerged.

A Szabo, J.: European Union Energy Policy at a Time of Crisis bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Author: Gergely Buda

In: Sustainable Futures, Volume 11, 2026

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101720

Abstract

Sustainable industrialization has become a priority for many African nations, yet practical pathways for achieving it, particularly through circular economy (CE) strategies, remain insufficiently understood. Although industrial symbiosis (IS) is widely recognized as a promising CE approach for enhancing resource efficiency and reducing environmental burdens, limited empirical evidence exists on how these principles can be implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa, where industrial systems are still formative and characterized by infrastructural and regulatory constraints. This gap is especially pronounced in rapidly developing industrial parks such as the Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP) in Uganda. Therefore, this study examines the potential and challenges of integrating CE principles, specifically IS, within KIBP, aiming to contextualize and adapt CE/IS frameworks to an early-stage industrial ecosystem. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 42 firms and consultations with park management, the research analyses existing waste and resource flows, perceptions of CE/IS, and factors shaping adoption. The paper contributes by extending CE and IS theory to the Sub-Saharan context and providing practical entry points for policymakers, industrial park managers, and businesses. Findings reveal that IS holds significant potential to optimize waste management, enable waste valorisation, enhance resource efficiency, and reduce environmental impacts within the park. However, implementation is hindered by weak infrastructure, limited awareness among firms, and insufficient policy enforcement. Key opportunities for enabling IS include establishing centralized waste collection and sorting facilities, fostering collaborative waste-exchange networks including informal actors, promoting technological innovation, and introducing incentive-based regulatory mechanisms.

A Buda, G.: Industrial symbiosis potential in Uganda’s Kampala Industrial and Business Park. Sustainability challenges and opportunities bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Authors: Csaba Lakócai, Luigi Capoani,

In: Regional Statistics, Vol. 16. No. 1. 2026

DOI: 10.15196/RS160104  

Abstract

Building upon the traditional concept of the “Blue Banana” as Europe’s economic core area, this study examines the multifaceted impacts and underlying causes of régiónál competitiveness disparities across Europe. In particular, it delves into Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), along with the Mediterranean territories of the European Union (EU), analysing the ongoing economic and urban transformations within these areas while also assessing similar patterns in Western and Northern Europe. Leveraging the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 (NUTS 2) regional breakdown and data sourced from the EU’s latest regional competitiveness index (RCI) report, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of spatial concentrations within the EU. The findings suggest that although some regions of the Blue Banana maintain their relative dominance in regional competitiveness, significant recent developments in other European regions indicate that the concept may be losing relevance. In particular, the CEE regions – especially their capital regions – converged toward the standards set by the Blue Banana. The results of the spatial regression model on the RCI in 2022 substantiate the conclusion that the Blue Banana is no longer a significant territorial concentration. Moreover, the results of the spatial regression model on the changes in RCI scores between 2016 and 2022 indicate that the less affluent CEE and Mediterranean regions have greater development potential than the wealthier western and northern egions, further challenging the traditional notion of the Blue Banana.

A Caponi, L., Lakócai Cs.: Spatial dynamics of competitiveness: a comparative analysis of the Blue Banana and emerging EU regions bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.