Though it may not be readily apparent to Western Europeans, who have enjoyed democracy, peace, and open trade longer than their Eastern neighbors, the EU's high democratic standards and economic vitality—which, while anemic since the 2008 crash, nonetheless remains attractive—jointly act as a "commitment device," enticing aspirant states to get their political and economic houses in order. Coming from a country that lived through a quasi-authoritarian rough patch between independence and EU membership, Rohac knows whereof he speaks when he praises the body's alluringly liberalizing effect.
Read Full Article »
