Strategic Reform of <scp>EU</scp> Cohesion Policy Funding Delivery in <scp>S</scp> lovakia

ABSTRACT This study asks one question: how far does cohesion policy funding translate into convergence and growth as delivery systems shift from compliance‐driven routines to results‐oriented governance? The V4 comparison identifies the broader convergence pattern, while the Slovak regional lens tests whether that pattern extends beyond the capital. Administrative series capture payment and dispersion patterns; a fixed‐effects panel shows conditional growth associations, and HERMIN scenarios provide structured trajectories rather than observed effects. Practitioner evidence, based on a questionnaire refined through 12 cognitive interviews, identifies the delivery levers behind those patterns. The evidence points to a narrow but consistent message. V4 convergence is visible in purchasing‐power terms, yet within Slovakia the signal weakens once Bratislava is removed. Growth is positively associated with lagged payment intensity, but the timing of absorption matters because compressed late‐year spending is less conducive to growth than smoother execution. The contribution is therefore not a broad causal claim about cohesion policy, but a governance account of how delivery capability shapes whether funding is converted into territorial gains.