THE EU MEMBER STATES AMID THE POLYCRISIS
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Abstract
The idea of strong, united, sovereign Europe has revived again, but appears to be much harder to implement amid the polycrisis and the growing geopolitical rivalry. The objective of the paper is twofold: first, to reveal the context for the integration processes development in Europe in the 20th century; second, to examine the dynamics of GDP, GDP per capita, and population of the EU member states. Methodology. The data, taken from the UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics, the UNCTADstat Data Centre, as well as various publications, served as the information source for using logical-historical and tabular-graphical methods. The results demonstrate that over 2015-2024 the EU’s share of the global economy in terms of the regional nominal GDP fell from 21,49%, i.e. $16’067’827 mln (EU-28, with the UK), or 17,69%, i.e. $13’226’754 mln (EU-27, without the UK) in 2015 to 17,56%, i.e. $19’381’983 mln in 2024. The key engines of the EU are Germany and France: their combined nominal GDP in 2024 amounted to $7’820’170 mln, or 40,35% of the bloc, with Germany’s indicator being more than 1.47 times higher than that of France. Over 2015-2023, GDP of Germany grew by 37,31%, while that of France – by 27,13%: France’s position weakened since its share of the EU-27 dropped from 18,15% in 2015 to 16,42% in 2023. While the EU’s average GDP per capita is nearly three times higher than that of the world, significant disparities between member states persist. During 2019-2024, the EU-27’s share of the global population (without the UK) fell by 0,22%: from 5,76% to 5,54%. Practical implications. The global financial crisis of 2008 reshaped the US–EU–Japan triangle and put the EU in a difficult position while making the PRC more influential globally. Value/originality. The post WWII split of Eurasia served as the starting point for dividing the globe into spheres of influence and security thus shaping the development of regional integration processes worldwide. At the age of polycrisis, strengthening the civilizational roots of the European nations will contribute to building, on the one hand, the EU autonomy on the regional level, and, on the other hand, the bridge between the East and the West on the global level.
How to Cite
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
regional economic integration, European Union, United States, Marshall Plan, China, Eurasia, world order, capitalism, nominal GDP, GDP per capita (nominal), population
Andrén, M. (2023). Thinking Europe. A History of the European Idea since 1800. N.Y., Berghahn Books. 354 p.
Bossuat, G. (2008). The Marshall Plan: history and legacy. The Marshall Plan. Lessons learned for the 21st century. Sixtieth anniversary of the Marshall Plan 1947-2007. Ed. by E. Sorel, P.C. Padoan. OECD publishing. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2008/09/the-marshall-plan_g1gh8e35/9789264044258-en.pdf
China’s EU policy paper (2003). PRC’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zzjg_663340/xos_664404/dqzzywt_664812/202406/t20240606_11390070.html
Chuzhykov, V. I., & Fedirko, O. A. (2021). Localism versus globalism (European methodological case-study). Regional economy, 4, 44–56.
Clark, D. (2025). Distribution of Marshall Plan payments 1948-1952, per country. November 28, 2025. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1227834/distribution-marshall-plan-by-country
Crone, R. C., (2026). Halford Mackinder. British political geographer. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Halford-Mackinder
Dovgal, O. (2025). Effects of the transformation of the economy of the Republic of Poland in the process of European integration: foreign economic aspect. Modern Economics, 54, 54–58.
Garrity, P. (2016). Churchill, Britain, and European Unity. March 9, 2016. The Churchill Project. Hillsdale College. https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu/churchill-britain-and-european-unity/
Grytsenko, A. A. (2025). Formation of the foundations of nationally rooted resilience and security of economic development of Ukraine in a new hybrid reality “peace-war” (transcript of scientific report at the meeting of the Presidium of NAS of Ukraine, March 19, 2025). Bulletin of NASU, 5, 61–68. https://doi.org/10.15407/visn2025.05.061
History of the EU (2026). History of the EU 1945-59. Peace in Europe and the beginnings of cooperation. An official website of the EU. https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/history-eu/1945-59_en
Hormats, R.D. (2010). The U.S.-European relationship: past perspectives and future prospects. U.S. Department of State. Diplomacy in Action. https://2009-2017.state.gov/e/rls/rmk/20092013/2010/150032.htm
Kalchenko, T. (2024). Socio-economic consequences of the global systemic crisis. Kyiv Economic Science Journal, (4), 93–97. https://doi.org/10.32782/2786-765X/2024-4-13
Kistersky, L., Marmazov, V., & Piliaiev, I. (2021). Prospects for the East-West civilizational convergence: Confucian tradition democracy in the Republic of Korea. Prague, Coretex CZ SE. 246 p.
Marshall Plan, 1948. Milestones 1945-1952. Office of the Historian. U.S. Department of State. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/marshall-plan
New Evidence (1994) on the Soviet Rejection of the Marshall Plan, 1947: Two Reports. S.D. Parrish, & M.M. Narinsky. WP №9. March 1994. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Washington, D.C., 53 p. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/publication/ACFB73.pdf
Novikov, V. (2023). The ethical principle of justice in the promotion of the concept of human development. Demography and Social Economy, 1 (51), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.15407/dse2023.01.003
Radziyevska, S. (2018). Regionalization and globalization: interrelationships and prospects for non-confrontational development. Kyiv, 376 p.
Radziyevska, S., & Us, I. (2020). Regionalization of the world as the key to sustainable future. E3S Web of Conferences. Vol. 166. https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2020/26/e3sconf_icsf2020_13016.pdf
Radziyevska, S., & Us, I. (2023). The impact of security issues related to the war in Ukraine on world trade transformations. Przeglad Strategiczny, 16, 89–101.
Sidenko, V. R. (2014). The policy of completion of the formation of the European economic and currency union: main tendencies and possible consequences for Ukraine. Economy of Ukraine, 10, 51–66.
The European Idea (2026). Documents from the French Diplomatic Archives. https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/the-ministry-and-its-network/the-diplomatic-archives/documents-from-the-diplomatic-archives/the-birth-of-europe-the-treaty-establishing-the-european-coal-and-steel/i-the-european-idea/
The historical conflict of socialism and capitalism, and the post-socialist transformation (1999). Paper prepared by B. Chavace, University of Paris, 13 Dec. 1999. UNCTAD X. High-level Round Table on Trade and Development: Directions for the 21st century. https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ux_tdxrt1d3.en.pdf
The Lisbon strategy (2004): a more competitive Europe, with more and better jobs. European Parliament in action. Highlights 1999-2004. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/highlights/en/1001.html
The Marshall Plan and the establishment of the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (2026). Historical events in the European integration process (1945-2009). Université du Luxembourg. Luxembourg center for contemporary and digital history. http://www.cvce.eu
The pioneering phase (2026). Historical events in the European integration process (1945-2009). Université du Luxembourg. Luxembourg center for contemporary and digital history. http://www.cvce.eu
The return of Jacques Delors (2004). The Economist. 12 February 2004. https://www.economist.com/europe/2004/02/12/the-return-of-jacques-delors
The Warsaw Treaty Organization (1955). Milestones 1953-1960. Office of the Historian. U. S. Department of State. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/warsaw-treaty
Triffin, R. (1964). The evolution of the international monetary system: historical reappraisal and future perspectives. Princeton Studies in International Finance №12. International Finance Section. Department of Economics. Princeton University. 87 p. https://ies.princeton.edu/pdf/S12.pdf
UK withdrawal from the EU – Legal and procedural issues (2017). In-depth analysis. March 2017. European Parliamentary Research Service. 36 p. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2017/599352/EPRS_IDA(2017)599352_EN.pdf
UNCTAD Handbooks of Statistics 2016-2020. https://unctad.org/publications
UNCTAD Data Hub (2025). Empowering development through data and statistics. https://unctadstat.unctad.org
U.S. National Security Strategy (2025). November 2025. Washington. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf
US president-elect (2017) tells Michael Gove that Britain voted to leave EU because people ‘want their own identity’. Donald Trump’s first UK post-election interview: Brexit a ‘great thing’. January 16, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/15/trumps-first-uk-post-election-interview-brexit-a-great-thing
Walsh, N.P. (2025). China tells EU it can’t accept Russia losing war against Ukraine, official says. July 4, 2025. CNN World. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/04/europe/china-ukraine-eu-war-intl
Warlouzet, L. (2010). Charles de Gaulle’s idea of Europe. The lasting legacy. Kontur, № 19. P. 21–31. https://kontur.au.dk/fileadmin/www.kontur.au.dk/kontur_19/04_Warlouzet.pdf
Xi Jinping (2025). Xi says China supports European integration, EU strategic autonomy. January 14, 2025. PRC’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202501/14/content_WS67866a71c6d0868f4e8eed0f.html
Zveryakov, M. (2023). Concept of social market economy in the post-war recovery of Ukraine. Economy of Ukraine, 3, 3–23. https://doi.org/10.15407/economyukr.2023.03.003
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.