The Competitiveness Dilemmas of the European Union in the 21st Century: Integration, Regulation, and Global Challenges.

Felkai Lili Barbara (2025) The Competitiveness Dilemmas of the European Union in the 21st Century: Integration, Regulation, and Global Challenges. ['eprint_fieldopt_faculty_mük' not defined].

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Absztrakt (kivonat)

My thesis is about a simple but important question: why is the European Union becoming less competitive in the world? I look at how the EU makes decisions, how its rules work, and why it is slower than other big powers like the United States and China. I wanted to understand whether the EU’s system is helping it grow or actually holding it back.The topic matters today because the EU used to be much stronger in the global economy. But in the last 20 years, things have changed. The EU’s share of the world’s GDP has fallen. Productivity grows more slowly than in the US. Europe is behind in technology, and even in car manufacturing, which used to be our pride. This shows that the EU is losing ground while other countries move faster.In the literature review, I looked at what different experts say. Some think the EU is strong because of deep integration, meaning one Single Market, one currency, and shared rules. This gives stability. But others say this same system creates too many regulations, too much paperwork, and very slow decision-making. The EU influences global standards, but strict rules can also slow companies down and make innovation harder. So, the EU’s biggest strength can also be its biggest weakness.Then I analysed several important EU reports, like the Sapir Report, the Letta Report, the Draghi Report, the Budapest Declaration, and Ursula von der Leyen’s Competitiveness Compass. Even though these documents come from different years, they all say the same things: the EU decides too slowly, the Single Market is not finished, innovation is low, regulations are heavy, energy prices are high, and investment is not enough. All these reports suggest that the EU needs to simplify rules, invest more in technology, and modernise its economy.In the applied research part, I looked at real speeches and expert reactions. I analysed Ursula von der Leyen’s 2025 State of the Union speech. Many people felt the speech had big dreams but not enough real plans. I also used ideas from my interview with Klára Dobrev, Member of the European Parliament, who said Europe does not lack ideas but it lacks fast action.In my conclusion, I write that the EU’s main challenge is learning how to be faster and more flexible, while still keeping its stability and fairness. The EU has the potential to stay strong, but it must improve innovation, finish the Single Market, modernise energy systems, and reduce its dependency on outside powers. If it can do this, it can stay competitive in a world where the US and China move very quickly. And find its new position in this multipolar world.

Intézmény

Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem

Kar

['eprint_fieldopt_faculty_mük' not defined]

Tudományterület/tudományág

NEM RÉSZLETEZETT

Szak

Kereskedelem és marketing

Mű típusa:	diplomadolgozat (NEM RÉSZLETEZETT)
Kulcsszavak:	21th century, competitiveness (economics), economics, EU, European Union
SWORD Depositor:	User Archive
Felhasználói azonosító szám (ID):	User Archive
Rekord készítés dátuma:	2026. Júl. 09. 11:47
Utolsó módosítás:	2026. Júl. 09. 11:47

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