"Joining the club: The impact of Europeanization on Czech economics and institutional reforms"

Egan, Michelle. (2001) "Joining the club: The impact of Europeanization on Czech economics and institutional reforms" . In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2001 (7th), May 31-June 2, 2001, pages 35, Madison, Wisconsin.

Abstract

The transformation of the centrally planned economies to market principles and private property is one of the most remarkable changes in the post-war period. While discussions about a "return to Europe" shape domestic agendas in Central and Eastern Europe, the literature on enlargement has been dominated by the effects of increased membership on Community policies, practices and institutions. This paper explores key implications of the accession process in terms of domestic adjustments to highlight the institutional choices and economic governance reforms that have been undertaken to meet the acquis in the Czech Republic. The paper highlights how European accession process is influencing the domestic institutional framework governing markets, in crucial areas such as competition policy, financial markets and corporate governance. In doing so, the paper questions the assumption that institutions establish relatively stable frameworks that can result in lock in and path dependent effects, by demonstrating the malleability of institutional choices, and possibility of institutional change and adaptation to meet pressure and conditionality demands of "returning to Europe."