Cohesion Policy and institutional change in Hungary and Estonia

In the discourse on European Union Cohesion Policy (EUCP) reform, much attention is being paid to policy content, while less attention is being paid to the institutions responsible for adapting and implementing EUCP in national contexts. From a historical institutionalist perspective, regional policy institutions in EU member states are influenced in part by EUCP and national institutional contexts and legacies. Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, in particular, have grappled with institutional transformations in the recent era including the transition, pre-accession and post-accession periods, but the influence of EUCP on institutional change has not been well studied following EU accession. Using the cases of Hungary and Estonia, this study builds upon comparative research on CEE from the transition and pre-accession periods, providing an updated view of institutional developments with the aim of widening current understandings of EUCP. Different mechanisms of institutional change are highlighted, pointing to cross-country inconsistencies in the Europeanization process and implementations of EUCP resulting in weak institutions and ambiguity surrounding core policy concepts. Thus, the study reinforces the importance of national institutions for EUCP outcomes and legitimacy, which should factor into current discussions of EUCP reform for the future programming period.