Assessment of the Economic Cohesion of the Lubelskie Voivodship

Abstract

Cohesion is one of the most fundamental objectives of European regional policy. The basic unit of the cohesion policy in Poland is a voivodship. However voivodships in a lot of cases do not have the characteristics of a definition of region – they are not uniform in economic, social and cultural terms. That is why it seems quite legitimate to question the internal consistency within a voivodship. The aim of the article is to assess the change in differences of the Gross Domestic Product per capita in the Lubelskie Voivodship, divided into four subregions. The assessment has been made by employing statistical analysis and models of convergence for the period of 1999-2012. The research indicates that starting from 2007 we can observe sigma and beta divergence in the area under study. The metropolitan subregion of Lublin has been developing faster than other much poorer subregions and is characterized by the highest growth rate. Therefore, referring to the discussion about a “two speed Europe” it is also possible to speak – of course being fully aware of the different problems – about a “two speed voivodship.”