The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Imagining geographies of the 'new Europe': geo-economic power and the new European architecture of integration

Imagining geographies of the 'new Europe': geo-economic power and the new European architecture of integration
Imagining geographies of the 'new Europe': geo-economic power and the new European architecture of integration
Since 1989, East-Central Europe has witnessed a series of transformations that have resulted in the region’s geopolitical and geoeconomic repositioning within Europe. This paper explores three examples of such repositionings. First, the paper examines the scripting of post-communist transitions as a naturalized process of neo-liberal marketization. The role of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the place of East-Central European economies within discourses of emerging markets and the naturalization of uneven economic development in treatments such as those by Jeffrey Sachs are explored. Second, the paper examines the role of the European Union enlargement process in the closure of economic practice in East-Central Europe around liberal market economies. Third, the paper explores how the process of post-conflict reconstruction in the Balkans has been part of the assertion of marketization discourses as the one best way for ensuring peace. The paper therefore examines these geo-economic discourses as central to our understanding of European reconfigurations at the start of the twenty-first century.

geo-economics, eastern europe, transition, international financial institutions, geo-politics
0962-6298
647-670
Smith, A.
f115f8cb-6c76-444b-ba80-7a1d54276da8
Smith, A.
f115f8cb-6c76-444b-ba80-7a1d54276da8

Smith, A. (2002) Imagining geographies of the 'new Europe': geo-economic power and the new European architecture of integration. Political Geography, 21 (5), 647-670. (doi:10.1016/S0962-6298(02)00011-2).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Since 1989, East-Central Europe has witnessed a series of transformations that have resulted in the region’s geopolitical and geoeconomic repositioning within Europe. This paper explores three examples of such repositionings. First, the paper examines the scripting of post-communist transitions as a naturalized process of neo-liberal marketization. The role of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the place of East-Central European economies within discourses of emerging markets and the naturalization of uneven economic development in treatments such as those by Jeffrey Sachs are explored. Second, the paper examines the role of the European Union enlargement process in the closure of economic practice in East-Central Europe around liberal market economies. Third, the paper explores how the process of post-conflict reconstruction in the Balkans has been part of the assertion of marketization discourses as the one best way for ensuring peace. The paper therefore examines these geo-economic discourses as central to our understanding of European reconfigurations at the start of the twenty-first century.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2002
Keywords: geo-economics, eastern europe, transition, international financial institutions, geo-politics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 15170
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/15170
ISSN: 0962-6298
PURE UUID: d954643b-432f-44d2-847c-06be4f80ea3c

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 12 Apr 2005
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:35

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: A. Smith

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×