The convergence of the V4 region to western levels of income has been rather unremarkable to date, mostly owing to the lackluster performance of the Czech Republic and Hungary since the global financial crisis. By contrast, Poland and Slovakia are emerging as regional convergence champions. Despite these interesting differences, the overall results – also manifested in low wage levels – are a disappointment, authors of the study The Shape of Central Europe published by the Aspen Institute Central Europe says.

It therefore appears that these countries face certain structural barriers to growth that prevent them from unlocking their economic potential. This study examines the growth barriers in the region in an attempt to identify what needs to be done to accelerate or maintain the pace of economic convergence as well as to sustain or increase the capacity to turn this success into a widely shared concept of social welfare and well-being. 

'If we continue to focus on the presence in education, we willl remain stuck in the presence forever', says Daniel Münich, CERGE-EI during the annual conference of the Aspen Institute CE.

"Pokud se ve vzdělávání budeme zaměřovat na současnost, tak v té současnosti zůstaneme navěky." Daniel Münich #AspenAnnual2017

— Aspen Institute CE (@AspenInstCE) November 29, 2017

Download the report.