Does the EU convergence machine still work?

Article published in the Economic Review of June 2020

The prospect of higher living standards has been a major attraction of EU membership and is arguably an antidote against rising EU scepticism. But does the EU “convergence machine” still work? Have initially poorer European countries and regions succeeded in catching up with the income levels of their richer peers? And what has been the relative performance of countries and regions in Western Europe, including Belgium?

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