Socioekonomické disparity ve státech V4 v kontextu efektivnosti kohezní politiky

The diploma thesis deals with the topic of socio-economic disparities within the countries of the Visegrad Group, which are examined at the level of NUTS 2 regions. As socio-economic disparities can negatively affect the performance of the European Union as a whole, it is therefore important to be able to identify these inequalities and at the same time evaluate the effectiveness of current solution. The main goal is therefore the identification and evaluation of the development of socio-economic disparities in the Visegrad Group countries in the period 2007-2020. The development of disparities was evaluated using the Gini coefficient method. The resulting evaluation of the effectiveness of the cohesion policy is then included in the calculation of the point method, through which the NUTS 2 regions are divided into three categories: prosperous, average and lagging regions. Based on the results of the research, it was found that the best results were usually achieved in regions where the capitals of the states are located. On the other hand, the worst results could be observed in the area from the southeastern part to the northeastern part of the Visegrad Group region. The main finding of the work is the worsening development of socio-economic disparities between regions, which was demonstrated through the calculation of the Gini coefficient. The established hypothesis of decreasing disparities in the period 2007-2020 was therefore refuted. An analysis of project allocations and funds from the EU Cohesion funds has shown that most funds are allocated to priorities and topics that are important for lagging regions. However, structural problems were identified in the regions, which EU cohesion policy alone cannot solve. In conclusion, the need for the cooperation of local political groups, in an effort to solve socio-economic disparities in lagging regions, has been identified.