Based on a multidisciplinary analysis, the book presents a contemporary view of the main challenges facing regional development and regional policy in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly considering to what extent domestic and non-domestic legacies have affected the regionalization process in this area. The volume mainly focuses on the institutional arrangements at regional level, analyzing the motives, procedures and outcomes of either political or administrative reforms introduced in the latest years. The focus are the former communist countries, both members of the EU and not (case studies selected: Romania, Hungary, Poland and Serbia), with a specific chapter concentrating on a case study from the West – England – whose process of regionalization provides a useful point of reference for the experiences of its Central-East counterparts.

This book provides an up-to-date assessment of the main processes and dilemmas of regional development and regional policy in the newer European Union Member States in Central and Eastern Europe and neighbouring countries. It highlights the difficulties of balancing the demands within the new Member States for rapid regional growth and development with, firstly, the demands of the European Union overall that restructuring and development should conform to the aims and principles of EU common policies; and, secondly, with budgetary constraints. The book covers a wide range of issues, including global and national challenges to regional convergence and cohesion; regional dynamics, city networks and border issues; the effectiveness of policy responses at national and European levels, including an assessment of policy experiences from outside the new Member States; and likely future developments.

Explores Russia's re-emergence as a major actor in Central Asia and the Caucasus - a re-emergence which is limited by the involvement and influence of external state and non-state actors, including China, the USA and foreign energy companies.

The changing dynamics in the European region and beyond, the unfolding political-economic challenges across the European Union, and the rising global power of emerging economic powers require knowledge, skills, and methodological platforms inducing strategies and operations in the new and ever-changing business landscape. Geo-Regional Competitiveness in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic Countries, and Russia seeks to address East Central Europe’s (ECE), the Baltics’, and Russia’s increasingly important roles as emerging markets and competitive economic players in the European region. This premier reference work is designated for scholars, professionals, government agencies, think tanks, and other individuals, organizations, and institutions interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the geo-regional strategic business dynamics and landscape involving ECE, the Baltics, and Russia.

Twenty-five years into transformation, Central and Eastern European regions have undergone substantial socio-economic restructuring, integrating into European and global networks and producing new patterns of regional differentiation and development. Yet post-socialist modernisation has not been without its contradictions, manifesting in increasing social and territorial inequalities. Recent studies also suggest there are apparent limits to post-socialist growth models, accompanying a new set of challenges within an increasingly uncertain world. Aiming to deliver a new synthesis of regional development issues at the crossroads between ‘post-socialism’ and ‘post-transition’, this book identifies the main driving forces of spatial restructuring in Central and Eastern Europe, and charts the different regional development paths which take shape against the backdrop of post-crisis Europe. A comparative approach is used to highlight common development challenges and the underlying patterns of socio-economic differentiation alike. The issues investigated within the Handbook extend to a discussion of the varied economic consequences of transition, the social structures and institutional systems which underpin development processes, and the broadly understood sustainability of Central and Eastern Europe’s current development model. This book will be of interest to academics and policymakers working in the fields of regional studies, economic geography, development studies and policy.

The geopolitical landscape of Central Europe has undergone considerable transformation in the last two decades. While the pre-Global Financial Crisis period saw a focus on strengthening ties with Western Europe and the USA, the post-crisis period has seen reorientation towards Asia, in particular China. This book charts these changes in geopolitical dominance in the region, covering the economic influence of China, the increasingly assertive diplomatic involvement of Russia and increased US interest in the region under the Biden administration. The book also seeks to explain why the countries of Central Europe are realigning their geopolitical alliances towards the great powers as confidence in the European project and its economic benefits has waned, and what opportunities this realignment could hold.