Global crisis and economic alternatives in Central and Eastern Europe

Supported by the Systemic Risk Institute, funded by European Union – Next Generation EU

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Invitation pdf

Global crisis and economic alternatives in Central and Eastern Europe

Workshop organised by Tereza Virtová and Josef Patočka

Abstract
Global crisis and economic alternatives in Central and Eastern Europe In recent years, Central and Eastern European economies are undergoing a host of challenges connected to their semi-peripheral position in global capitalism. Rising cost of living and inequality, partial reindustrialization, and heightened geo-political tensions only exacerbate long-term contradictions of the post-socialist economic model based on subordinate integration in global value chains and increasingly authoritarian models of its political management (Gagyi, 2021). At the same time, recent years have seen a reappraisal of various forms of alternative economic practices and institutions in the region - including food self-provisioning, DIY practices, forms of cooperativism both traditional and new and other forms of what has elsewhere been conceptualized as a solidarity economy (Miller, 2010). Rather than being seen as signs of lagging behind in efforts to catch-up with the countries of the capitalist core, they are suddenly re-evaluated as potential sources of resilience in the escalating global crisis, or even starting points for emancipatory socio-ecological transformations (Cima & Sovová, 2022; Pungas et al., 2024). What are the ways such practices and institutions could proliferate beyond their current marginality in the overall pattern of social reproduction and expand into more comprehensive alternative economic pathways? How will the changing forms of the region's integration in global processes shape the opportunities and limits to such transformations? How could actors beyond solidarity economy initiatives - such as trade unions, social movements and electoral parties - collaborate to intervene in these conditions? And what is the role of research in informing such strategies for socio-ecological resilience? In this workshop we will explore various strategies for the scaling of economic alternatives in the context of current capitalist transformations in semi-peripheral Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of the seminar will be to better understand the region's position in today's global crisis, and identify openings for building economic alternatives in the CEE region.

The workshop can be followed online via ZOOM. If you are interested, please register by contacting us at Tato e-mailová adresa je chráněna před spamboty. Pro její zobrazení musíte mít povolen Javascript.

This workshop is supported by the NPO "Systemic Risk Institute" no. LX22NPO5101, funded by European Union – Next Generation EU (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, NPO: EXCELES).