In this paper, we map the growth cycle synchronization across the European Union, specifically focusing on the position of the Visegrad Four countries. We study the synchronization using frequency and time-frequency domain.
To accommodate for dynamic relationships among the countries, we propose a wavelet cohesion measure with time-varying weights. Analyzing quarterly data from 1995 to 2017, we show an increasing co-movement of the Visegrad Four countries with the European Union after the countries have accessed the European Union.
We show that participation in a currency union increases the co-movement of the country adopting the Euro. Furthermore, we find a high degree of synchronization at business cycle frequencies of the Visegrad Four and countries of the European monetary union.