“Prague is considered to be the “most…" – competitiveness of regions in the Czech Republic in the context of praguecentrism

Abstract

The aim of the article was to compare NUTS3 level regions in the Czech Republic in terms of their competitiveness understood as an outcome of the four following dimensions: economic, social, innovative and environmental. The study of competitiveness was intended to verify the thesis of the legitimacy of concentrating development policy (especially in terms of spending EU funds) in the capital city of Prague as the region with the highest potential, providing the greatest guarantees of their effective use. In the article, using the Hellwig method (i.e. relative distances from the benchmark), an empirical analysis of regional competitiveness was carried out. The occurring developmental asymmetry was confirmed by empirical data. Prague is the leader outclassing the other regions in economic, social and innovative dimensions. In a country with significant developmental disparities, disadvantaged units are unable to compete and thus become underdeveloped regions. Praguecentrism therefore causes the increase in development divergence in the Czech Republic. This phenomenon will grow, regardless of the regional development policy.