THE EFFECT OF TURBULENCIES CAUSED BY COVID-19 EPIDEMIC ON THE TRENDS OF THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF THE HUNGARIAN ECONOMY
The trends and dynamics have shifted significantly in the spatial structure of the Hungarian economy since the transition during the 1990s. The return to the Western, capitalist economic model and orientation has facilitated development and economic activity in certain parts of the country more, than the others. The study measures economic performance by the average GDP per capita in the Hungarian counties and the capital, compared to the national average. The general trend shows an increasing polarization between the spatial units until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also highlights and elaborates on the challenges of peripheral and semi-peripheral economies and points out the territorial differences in development. It is concluded that the divergence of weaker performing areas has been mostly intensifying since the 1990s, and one of the main beneficiaries of spatially differentiated development trajectories has been the capital, Budapest. The study establishes that during the 2020-2021 period, previously underperforming counties tended to outperform during the pandemic, while the previously best-performing counties often underperformed.
XI. évf. 2023. SPECIAL ISSUE1 32-42
DOI: 10.24387/CI.2023.SPECIAL ISSUE.5
