From recipients to donors: Central Europe and EU development aid

Amid global political tensions, Central European countries, once aid recipients, have emerged as donors under EU and OECD supervision. Drawing on critical approaches to Europeanisation and donor identity, this article applies a four-dimensional framework of donor identity (discursive, institutional, behavioural, and external) to analyse how the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland construct their roles within EU development policy. While aligning formally with EU and DAC norms, these states often resist the traditional donor model by drawing on their post-socialist experience, lack of colonial legacy, and emphasis on regional proximity and solidarity. Their engagement subtly challenges dominant development narratives, revealing internal tensions and overlooked variation among EU donors. By conceptualising donor identity as a multidimensional and underexplored aspect of development studies, this article contributes to research on the CEE region, Europeanisation, and the evolving role of smaller EU states in global development governance.