The rapid journey from central planning to EU (euro area) membership stress-tested the social learning processes of FTEs. The desire to be anchored to the West, and to enter the EU spurred major reform waves and led to the introduction of best practice institutions very rapidly. This process...

Since the mid-1990s, Italy's economic growth faltered, primarily due to sluggish productivity growth. This article investigates the root causes of the slow growth. Firstly, it benchmarks Italy over time vis-à-vis euro area and OECD countries in the area of human capital, product market...

1. Introduction -- 2. Convergence of the EU member states in Central-Eastern and South Eastern Europe (EU11): a framework for convergence inside a close regional cooperation -- 3. Towards a new growth model in CESEE: three challenges ahead -- 4. Regional dynamics in EU11 -- 5. How the European...

1.Introduction -- 2.The economic impact of Single Market membership on the EU enlargement countries -- 3. FDI as force of convergence in the CESEE countries -- 4.The impact of EU cohesion funds on macroeconomic development in the Visegrad countries after the 2008-2009 financial crisis -- 5. The...

The rapid journey from central planning to EU (euro area) membership stress-tested the social learning processes of the Former Transition Economies (FTEs). The desire for a higher standard of living, to be anchored to the West, and to enter the EU, spurred major reform waves and led to the very...

While there is a large literature on the political economy of reforms, surprisingly little is known about reform reversal. Based on an investigation of reform reversals in former transition countries, this column argues that once reforms are introduced, self-enforcing social norms and social...