illiberalism Archívum - VGI

Ricz, J., Éltető, A.: Dependency meets illiberalism: expansion of the EV battery sector in Central Europe

Baller Zsófia — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:35:10 +0000

Dependency meets illiberalism: expansion of the EV battery sector in Central Europe

In: Post-Communist Economies, 1–26

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14631377.2025.2587008

Absztrakt

In the emerging new geopolitical landscape, Central European (CE) economies experiment with alternative approaches, leading to the rise of illiberal politics and changed economic governance. With Hungary being the most critical example of a DME coupled with illiberal political tendencies, this study compares six Central European countries’ EV battery ambitions and strategies as well as the consequences thereof. Being a hub for the European automotive industry over the last decades, the CE countries’ recent turn towards the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries is a step to reposition themselves in these regional value chains. Our exploratory study compares the main ambitions and strategies of the creation of the new EV battery sector across six Central European countries in the dependency-illiberalism nexus. Our results prove that besides the dependency arguments, illiberal political as well as geopolitical and strategic considerations are the main driving forces of recent changes.

A Ricz, J., Éltető, A.: Dependency meets illiberalism: expansion of the EV battery sector in Central Europe bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Csontos, T.: State expenditures and varieties of capitalism in East Central Europe

Baller Zsófia — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 07:55:07 +0000

State expenditures and varieties of capitalism in East Central Europe

Szerző: Csontos Tamás

In: Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, 1–24.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/25739638.2025.2509243

Absztrakt

The paper contributes to the debate on how capitalist varieties have changed in East Central Europe (ECE) after the 2008 crisis by applying cluster analysis to government expenditure in 10 ECE countries. The analysis compares the periods 2000–2007 and 2011–2019 and identifies four stable clusters: neoliberal, liberal developmental, embedded and embedded developmental, with most countries showing stability with minor changes. Only two countries, Poland and Hungary switched groups, moving from the embedded developmental cluster to the embedded cluster after the crisis. The paper argues that the changes in Poland and Hungary cannot be seen as stability or a shift towards a post-socialist developmental state. Instead, both countries have experienced an illiberal shift in the redistribution of state resources, showing an internal reallocation of expenditure towards economic affairs, recreation, culture and religion, and family and child benefits. However, the illiberal shift is less pronounced in Poland. These findings highlight a deviation from the path taken by other ECE countries and underline the unique trajectories of Poland and Hungary.

A Csontos, T.: State expenditures and varieties of capitalism in East Central Europe bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.

Éltető. A., Szemlér, T.: Hungary in the European Union – Cooperation, Peacock Dance and Autocracy

mta_vki — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:10:50 +0000

Hungary in the European Union – Cooperation, Peacock Dance and Autocracy

Authors: Andrea Éltető, Tamás Szemlér

In: Comparative Southeast European Studies, 71(3), 272-299.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/soeu-2022-0051

Abstract

Hungary had been one of the frontrunners in the political and economic transition process in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s, and in 2004 it joined the European Union. Since 2010, Hungary has gradually become an autocratic regime, a process that has been facilitated by the political benefits of EU integration and money transfers. While the support of the Hungarian people for EU membership has remained high, tensions have increased between the Hungarian government and EU institutions. This article evaluates how the external shock of Russia’s war against Ukraine has shaken Hungary’s so far developed authoritarian equilibrium within the EU. The authors show how embedded the Hungarian autocracy has become and argue that although there have been some effects to the pillars of the authoritarian equilibrium, it has remained stable, and most probably will continue to do so, as long as the illiberal regime stays in power.

A Éltető. A., Szemlér, T.: Hungary in the European Union – Cooperation, Peacock Dance and Autocracy bejegyzés először VGI-én jelent meg.