TERRITORIAL DISPARITIES AND ECONOMIC PROCESSES IN HUNGARY

Abstract

The first part of the article outlines the unique development path of Central and Eastern European countries after their market economic transition, and its changing geo-economic framework conditions referred to as “externally-driven capitalism” or “dependent market economy”. The failure of regional policy to promote the settlement of new industries and sectors is explained by the fact that most regions in the countries under study belong to the most disadvantaged and lagging regions of the EU. The second part provides a brief summary of the articles included in the thematic issue that focus on the territorial disparities and economic processes of Hungary. The concluding section highlights the specific problems of peripheral regions that are lacking scale and visibility on the European level, stressing the need to construct their own nonmetropolitan and non-FDI-driven development model, and to embark on a sustainable/rural alternative development path, one that represents a different perspective of the economy and competitiveness and does not set irrealistic goals