THE CAR INDUSTRY AS A MOTOR FOR INTENSIFYING INTEGRATION OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION: A POST-NATIONAL NATION-BUILDING PROCESS

Elsenhans argues that there is a contradiction between neoliberal globalization and economic convergence, even if neoliberal globalization is pushed to its very extreme as in the framework of the EU. Opting out would deprive the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) of the advantages of easy access to the established markets of the economically more advanced member states of the Union. Non market-type intervention has to take place at the Union level. For all four CEECs, car making is very important. Qualitative descriptions of the East European car industry highlight its rapid growth but also its limited linkages with the local economy.