Core-Periphery Divide in the EU Cohesion Policy: The Political Challenges of Dual Crisis to the NMS

In the 2010s EU cohesion policy has been challenged by the Ukrainian security crisis and the refugee crisis. This paper outlines the common impact of this dual crisis on the NMS with special regard to the EU cohesion policy and to the Cohesive Europe. It concentrates on the political challenge of this dual crisis but it takes into account also its socio-economic dimension. The point of departure is that the global crisis has generated an increasing Core-Periphery Divide. In the present stage of the ensuing transformation crisis the EU has concentrated on the main problems of the Eurozone Core, which has also involved the Southern Periphery. These efforts have resulted in marginalising the Eastern Periphery, the New Member States (NMS), which were also been shaken by the global crisis. When suddenly two new crisis waves have appeared, the EU has been taken by surprise by the particular nature of these crisis waves and by the reactions of NMS. By mid-2010s there has been a trend of declining democracy in NMS due to the relative failure of the catching up process after the first Ten Years of Membership, which has created mass dissatisfaction and resentment. In the Barroso II Commission there were efforts for crisis management in the NMS, the incoming Juncker Commission has been so overwhelmed by crisis management in the Core that these NMS crisis management measures have been delayed. Not having a clear perception about the “Eastern” situation, the Juncker Commission has realized with surprise that the NMS in these two crises have not behaved as the Commission expected. Populist, anti-EU and semi-authoritarian NMS governments have received popular support at home (increased due to the dual crisis). Paradoxically, regional cohesion of NMS has increased both in their foreign and domestic policy, opposing the EU mainstream.