Importance During each stage of the EU evolution, the EU faced various endogenous contradictions arising from unequal and uneven development of the member states and different geoeconomic interests some integration parties pursue. As for numerous aspects, consistent unification of the European integration project correlates with mechanisms for overcoming the internal contradictions. Objectives The article focuses on the study of divergent economic and political trends as an indispensable aspect of long-term development of a major regional integration alliance in the context of identifying mechanisms for overcoming the contradictions. Methods Using the historical, logical, economic, statistic, and comparative analysis, the author investigates various aspects of social and economic growth in the European economies. As part of the analysis of the integration process evolution and the current state of the European Union, the researcher determines a need to mitigate economic differences and geopolitical contradictions in order to further promote the economic integration and formation of the EU as an independent geographical and economic center of the global economic system. Results The research results in both the analysis of reasons and forecast of implications and consequences economic and political contradictions may have for the European Union. The research also finds that geoeconomic and geopolitical factors have strong mutual relation in terms of establishing the EU as the single entity among the leading poles of global influence. Conclusions and Relevance The researcher concludes that trends of overcoming the contradictions within the European Union are a considerable factor for further strengthening the integration alliance and unification of the internal institutional structure. The article states that the current phase of the EU internal contradictions implies the combination of different and uneven development levels of the member States’ domestic economy and internal and external political issues arising from multiple factors. In this respect, further integration consolidation will be possible only when the entire spectrum of economic and political matters is resolved.
Keywords: uneven development, economic disparity, contradiction, EU, member States, economic, political dualism, old member States, new member States, sanctions against Russia
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