Central and Eastern Europe’s Case for a Unified Economic Identity
The article argues that Central and Eastern Europe already has the economic weight of a major global player, with nearly 100 million residents and about $2.5 trillion in GDP. It says the region could present itself as a $3 trillion-plus economic space by 2030, focusing on manufacturing, technology, logistics, energy, and defense. Ukraine, it suggests, could help move the region from Europe’s periphery to a central geoeconomic role, and the region needs coordination and a shared narrative rather than new treaties.
The article points to ASEAN’s 2026–30 Economic Community Strategic Plan, which contains six goals, 44 objectives and 192 measures, as a model for how a region can market its combined economic weight. It notes ASEAN aims to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2045 and presents Southeast Asia as one proposition rather than separate national stories.
For CEE, the piece uses a conservative grouping of eleven EU states: Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Together they had about $2.5 trillion in nominal GDP in 2024 and nearly 100 million people; Poland accounted for roughly $860 billion, Romania almost $390 billion and Czechia about $383 billion.
If CEE actors adopt a shared economic narrative, policymakers, businesses, workers and investors across the eleven states could benefit from greater visibility and bargaining power. Ukraine’s reconstruction and integration may also reshape regional supply chains, migration and security cooperation. However, coordination could be difficult, and smaller economies may worry about being overshadowed. The impact on ordinary citizens would likely depend on whether aggregation translates into jobs, infrastructure and investment rather than only branding.