Germany and East-Central Europe

Politics Monographs The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) has been widely regarded as the locomotive for major economic and, increasingly, political developments in Europe. Germany's political leaders consistently justified its integrationist policy direction and provision of around 60 per cent of net transfers to the European Union (EU) by reference to a consolidation of peace and security, and to its trade interdependence with EU states. The EU has undertaken its largest ever enlargement to include eight and later at least two more countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Focusing on the period leading to these states formal accession, this book examines relations between Germany and, principally, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. These three comprise East-Central Europe (ECE). The book incorporates political-diplomatic, economic-commercial, and socio-cultural fields, and correlated bilateral and multilateral contexts.