ABSTRACT
The European Union, as many times before, appears to be at a crossroads. During its multiple crises – in the areas of monetary cooperation, Brexit, immigration, leadership, legitimacy, populism, etcetera – there seems to be a moment when important decisions have to be made. With regard to the international political economy of the Central and Eastern Europe countries’ membership or non-membership of the Eurozone, two more-or-less parallel processes appear to be decisive in terms of the outcomes: post-socialist transition and Europeanization. The former term refers to the historically unique, fundamental system change from socialism to capitalism. Membership of the Eurozone represents a sense of belonging: being a member of the club or staying away from it makes a difference. The common currency is an invented, constructed and tangible symbol among the collective identity elements of the citizens of the Europe.
