The Central and Eastern European Countries in the EU: Their development, the status quo and current issues

The CEECs have all been effectively integrated into the common internal market and current economic developments point to ongoing convergence and increasing cohesion. Substantial financial resources from the EU budget have made a significant contribution to this process. In the political sphere, however, the balance is less positive. In some CEE countries, a tendency to revive nationalism can be observed and in recent years conflicts with the EU over the rule of law, democracy, and the independence of the judiciary have intensified. Attempts by the European Commission and the European Parliament to counter this phenomenon with both existing instruments and new procedures have so far proved unsuccessful. Indeed, these unresolved frictions have recently hampered agreement on the 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. The lessons to be learned from these developments need to be applied when further enlargements are considered.