Making Europe Whole Again: Integration of Eastern European and Post-Soviet Political Economies
Majority of Ukrainians see the opportunity to integrate with Europe as a guarantee for democracy and economic stability. Yet the paper argues that in order to achieve these two key variables of prosperity, it is not necessary for Ukraine to join the EU. Ukraine has a complicated past that throughout its history gravitated either to Russia or Europe. More specifically, Western Ukraine has been predominantly under the European influence while Eastern Ukraine under the control of Russia in one form or another. This resulted in a diverse identity that since Ukrainian independence posed political dilemmas of which course for country to take - integrate with Europe or Russia.
Therefore, the essay centers around the argument that the way to democracy and prosperity may as well lie in the middle of the two extremes i.e. confidently pursue a middle-way of neutrality and fostering of economic and political relations with no declared course to further integrate with Russia or join the EU in the nearest future. In order to present the idea of the argument, it is necessary to investigate the accession to the EU of neighboring countries of Poland and Romania, characterize their political economic history, and determine what lessons the experiences of the two countries can offer for Ukraine.
The paper is by all means not a comprehensive overview of the potential benefits and costs of Eastern European countries joining the EU or a complete work on examining the integration processes that Romania or Poland went through. It is an attempt to look empirically at both countries history of being in the EU and their politico-economic processes leading up to that moment. As for the criticism, I think I could have structured it a bit better, by putting the theory first and building out the theory a bit more beyond Rawi Abdelal and Douglas North. That could then have better informed the empirical stories of Polish and Romanian accession, to then apply its lessons to Ukraine. Still, feel free to read the full version above. Any feedback appreciated.