ABSTRACT
International competitiveness has become a necessary condition for any modern, dynamic economy. The alternative is autarky, which is unlikely to be sustainable in the long run and is in any case unlikely to be attractive to a modern community. However, since international competitiveness has become so universally and unquestioningly accepted as a desirable objective, and its pursuit is frequently used to justify unpopular policies, it is worth asking why and in what sense competitiveness is necessary.
