Back to the future: the meaning of globalisation for Eastern and Central Europe

The paper first considers whether CEE is in or out of the globalised world. The strategic orientation for CEE and major domestic actors Joining the Process of Globalization is then discussed, followed by a consideration of specific choices facing the Elites in CEE when joining the globalised world. The paper then turns to those who are anti-globalisation in CEE and asks what their message might be, before asking whether globalisation itself is equitable.

Findings include:

• to the CEE countries, globalization is a vague concept if not related to the realities of everyday life
• the optimal strategy for these countries in moving towards becoming a member of the community of nations that benefit from the globalised world and away from the “globalisation ghetto” has been through integration in the mechanisms of regional cooperation, namely the European Union and NATO
• elites in these countries may or may not sufficiently understand what globalization has in store for them in the long run, the necessity to focus on short- and medium-term objectives accounts for the insufficient attention they have paid so far to the serious challenges they will face in the globalized world in the long run
• whilst they are generally going in the right direction by seeking membership of the EU, just as globalization is a catalyst for positive or negative influences, however, membership the EU per se will not solve all of their problems

The paper recommends countries of CEE address the following challenges:

• national security, including the need to formulate independently their national interests, to learn to pursue these interests with adequate policies through their participation in the institutions of international cooperation
• build capacity to be able to cope with the increased exposure to external shocks
• democratic governance, recognising the possible threats to the democratic order before they have gained momentum whilst without compromising tolerance of dissent
• adapting to the new economy by focussing at least on issues of corporate governance and the means of global communication
• fighting crime and corruption as present national boundaries become a less effective barrier
• need for more effective participation in the institutions of international cooperation