The accession to the European Union has been a unique historical chance and an existential necessity, which, from the standpoint of national and state interests, had no reasonable alternative.
The basic goal of the present study was to elaborate relatively comprehensive scientific arguments on economic and social contexts explaining the existential necessity of Slovakia’s political and strategic direction to the EU. At the same time, it attempts to provide a balanced view of both the benefits and risks. On the one hand, it identifies certain potential problems and probable, in particular initial time limited risks, the reduction or elimination of which had required attention already in the preparatory period. On the other hand, it explains a wide range of benefits, the rational utilisation of which will give a guarantee of clear long-term advantageousness of Slovakia’s integration to the EU.