Post-war recovery of Europe: experience and lessons for Ukraine

Abstract

The paper studies the problems of a country’s recovery after a war or a military conflict. The European experience of restructuring the economy after World War II is investigated. The main focus of the paper is on the analysis of post-war Modernization and Re-Equipment Plan of France, entitled the Monnet Plan, and European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan. The plan for recovering the French economy is of interest to Ukraine due to the similarities in problems and challenges faced by France in 1946 and Ukraine now. Therefore, the paper reviews the methods and approaches employed by the French experts trying to modernize their country. It also determines the risks that the French tackled while implementing the Monnet Plan. The author highlights the progressiveness and identifies the peculiarities of the Marshall Plan used to restructure post-war Europe. Suggestions for its adaptation opportunities in the current Ukrainian conditions are based on the results of the generalization and systematization of the European experience. The author argues that Ukraine’s recovery should start from the structural transformation and transition from the agrarian raw economy to an industrial and innovative kind, achieved through establishment of modern high-tech digital Industry 4.0. Notably, Ukraine itself must show initiative in this if it wishes to avoid being side-lined as a middling agrarian state. Here, a strong and unyielding position of the national elite is of paramount importance, as is their defence of the national interests and the right of the Ukrainian state to innovative development EU membership. It is of key importance that the issue of granting Ukraine financial support is resolved, as it is a condition of ensuring its resilience and sustainability of its post-war economic growth. On its part, Ukraine must ensure transparency in the use of the international aid, eradicate corruption and misuse of funds allocation.