This paper examines economic and institutional convergence between EU Core, EU New, and Western Balkan countries over … the period 2004-2023 using a comprehensive panel dataset and multiple convergence frameworks. Evidence of absolute β-convergence … through significant interaction-based β-convergence. A Principal Component Analysis-based Institutional Index (PC1) explains …

This paper provides a critical examination of the empirical basis of the output convergence debate in the light of … homogeneous dynamics lead to substantial under-estimation of the speed of convergence and misleading inference. Instead, dynamic … of per capita output convergence across countries, very slow evidence of cross country growth convergence, and reasonably …

widening 7 percentage point GDP growth gap relative to the CESEE average, a significant slowdown in convergence toward the …

context shape transition probabilities and club convergence (RQ3). Inequality in five-dimensional capability declines slightly … over the period (Gini from 0.109 to 0.092 and Palma from 1.563 to 1.464), implying modest convergence rather than … near the frontier, which is consistent with mild club convergence. Regionally, high capability cases are concentrated in …

Germany. We find no evidence of convergence across all counties even if we condition on important drivers of long-term growth … such as physical and human capital accumulation. Instead, we identify five convergence clubs, using endogenous clustering …