The Path of Hungary's EU Membership: Navigating Sovereignty, Dependence, and Economic Development

by András Bíró-Nagy (Editor), Gergo Medve-Bálint (Editor)

Overview

This book examines the impact of European Union membership in Hungary over the past two decades. It explores how successive Hungarian governments have either leveraged or failed to capitalize on the opportunities provided by the EU framework. Through a detailed analysis of various policy areas—including monetary and fiscal policy, regional policy, industrial policy, social policy and agricultural policy—the volume evaluates how EU regulatory influences have intersected with domestic policies to shape Hungary's development trajectory.

The book explores the tension between the increasingly sovereigntist rhetoric and economic nationalism of post-2010 Hungarian governments and the country's growing reliance on foreign investment and external credit. It also delves into public perceptions of the EU's impact in Hungary, as well as domestic attitudes and expectations regarding the EU’s influence. The findings highlight both the boundaries of EU influence and the constraints of domestic political and economic agency in a small, open economy grappling with the challenges of dependent development. This book will appeal to students, researchers, and policymakers in the fields of political economy, European studies, and public policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031940088
Publisher:	Springer Nature Switzerland
Publication date:	09/23/2025
Series:	Studies in Economic Transition
Pages:	409
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Andra's Bíró-Nagy is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Department of Government and Public Policy at the Institute for Political Science, HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, and Director of Policy Solutions.

Gergő Medve-Bálint is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Political Science, HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, and Associate Professor at the Institute for Social and Political Sciences at the Corvinus University of Budapest.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction.- 2. Eastern enlargement after 20 years: the European Union as a regulatory framework.- 3. Sovereign dependence. Hungarian market economy in the EU.- 4. Economic governance: conceived in crisis, victim of crises.- 5. Why has Hungary not adopted the euro? The reasons and circumstances of staying out of the Eurozone.- 6. The impact of EU funds on the performance of Hungarian companies.- 7. Hungarian industrial policy in the EU framework.- 8. The impact of EU membership on Hungarian legislation.- 9. The implementation of country-specific recommendations in Hungary.- 10. Social divergence in Hungary.- 11. EU funds and regional disparities.- 12. Hungarian agriculture: the balance of two decades in the EU.- 13. Public perceptions of the European Union’s policy impact in Hungary.- 14. Drivers of Euroscepticism in Hungary.- 15. Conclusion.