ABSTRACT
When the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries joined the European Union, it was expected that membership of the Union would result in the stabilization of democratic institutions and democracy in the region. However, in recent years the quality of democracy in two CEE countries – Hungary and Poland – seems to be falling backwards. If we look at the process of Eurozone accession of the CEE region, we see that is precisely these countries, and indeed some others, that are opposing membership of the Economic and Monetary Union. Is it only by chance that challenging the basic EU principles of democracy and rule of law and staying away from the Eurozone seem to relate to the same countries? This question will be addressed in the chapter by looking at longitudinal data obtained from Freedom House, V-Dem and the Economist Intelligence Unit on the quality of democracy in the region from the perspective of Eurozone membership. Ultimately, the conclusions that are drawn might be relevant not only for social scientists but for decision-makers as well.
