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This article reviews the state’s role in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe. Among the countries, Poland is perceived as the leader because it was the first economy to emerge from the decline following the transition, as well the only EU member state to survive the crisis without a recession. This success is often attributed to the high quality of government. However, we show that this popular perception is false and that state malfunctions on numerous fronts may soon impede Polish growth prospects. In Poland, the only bright spot is the quality of the financial supervision, which should serve as a role model for other countries. We attribute the malfunctions to the EU accession period that resulted in an unchecked growth of the government and contributed to the weakening of political and legal institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article investigates how political responsibility patterns are constructed in the European Union (EU) and how they relate to issues of accountability, policy, and transparency considerations regarding European unification. Particular attention is paid to how the national polity affects citizens' views of the EU in Central and Eastern Europe. It is argued that the opinion of voters of their home country's democratic performance will influence their views about the EU. It is questioned whether mass opinion and elite views about Europe correspond to the health of the national polity in the same way. The impact of the national citizens' and elites' evaluations of the polity and the policy dimensions are assessed to identify general support or skepticism concerning the EU.