Economics and Sociology | 2026
Authors: Ravšelj D.; Hodžić S.; Aristovnik A.
DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2026/19-1/1
Journal: Economics and Sociology
Year: 2026
Publisher: Centre of Sociological Research
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 2
Nowadays, the digitalisation of all sectors, including public administration, has influenced the way people and government agencies interact through various digital platforms, that offer different public services and enable e-participation. Consequently, technological change has accelerated the economic growth of individual EU Member States. Therefore, the main objective of the paper is to analyse the impact of e-government initiatives (e-services and e-participation) on economic growth in the EU by comparing old and new EU Member States. The first research hypothesis is therefore that e-services and e-participation have a positive effect on economic growth. The second hypothesis is that e-services and e-participation have a greater effect in the new EU member states than in the old ones. By applying a panel data analysis to a sample of EU-27 Member States for the period 2003-2022, the empirical results confirmed both research hypotheses. Based on the results, several recommendations were made for policy makers to build a resilient digital economy in the EU. © 2026, Centre of Sociological Research. All rights reserved.
digital government; e-participation; e-services; economic growth; EU; panel data analysis