Resumen
This paper compares theoretical interpretations of the global market system and the European Union enlargement according to the contemporary theories of international political economy and to the global political-economic spiral. The theory of the modern world system, influenced by neo-Marxism, stresses the negative factors and the theory of dual economy derived from neo-liberalism, emphasizes the positive factors of the EU enlargement. On the other hand, the state hegemonic stability theory, associated with neo-realism and the global political-economic spiral can explain the reasons of the EU enlargement but they omit any evaluations. The hegemonic stability theory finds the causes of the EU enlargement in the domination of the hegemonic state powers, whereas the global political-economic spiral (gp-es) finds these causes in the collective domination of both the hegemonic state powers and the transnational corporations. The state-corporation hegemonic stability is derived as a new contemporary theory of the international political economy from gp-es.