Weekly topics and readings
Each session will be made of two parts, including a short break. The course will also host guest lectures to give students a taste of how the EU works in practice!
January 18
(1) Introduction to the course I: Turning the Eye on Europe in times of crisis. What is the EU?
Introductory Lecture and Course Organisation.
(2) Introduction to the course II : The EU – basic concepts and institutions
Readings: Michelle Cini & Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán, “Introduction,” in Michelle Cini & Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán (eds), European Union Politics, 4th Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), Chapter 1.
[hereafter : European Union Politics]
PART I: POLITICAL HISTORY AND DEMOCRATIC FOUNDATION OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
January 25
(1) From the Very Origins of a European Community and its First Decades…
Required Readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 2.
Additional Readings: Desmond Dinan, Ever Closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration, 4th Edition (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2010), Chs. 1, 2.
[hereafter : Ever Closer Union]
(2) … to the Maastricht Treaty & the Creation and Development of the European Union
Required Readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 3.
Additional Readings: Ever Closer Union, Chs. 3, 4, 5.
February 1
(1) Europe at a Crossroads: Eastern Enlargement, “Constitutional” Change, Current Crisis.
Required Readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 4.
Additional Readings: Ever Closer Union, Ch. 6.
(2) Does Europe Need a Constitution? A Debate on EU Democracy & Legitimacy.
Required Readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 25.
PART II: THEORIES AND MODELS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
AND GOVERNANCE
February 8
(1) Neo-functionalism, supra-nationalism, inter-governamentalism.
Required readings: European Union Politics, Chs. 5 and 6.
(2) Understanding the European Union: New IR Theories and Political Science Models.
Required readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 7.
PART III: THE EU’S POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR DYNAMICS
February 15
(1) The EU system and institutions: overview and the European Commission.
Required readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 10.
Additional readings: Ever Closer Union, Ch. 7.
Guest speaker. Name and exact topic yet tbc.
(2) The European Council and the Council of the European Union
Required readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 11.
Additional Readings: Ever Closer Union, Ch. 8.
February 22
(1) The European Parliament.
Required Readings : European Union Politics, Ch. 12.
Additional Readings: Ever Closer Union, Ch. 9.
(2) The Courts, the European Central Bank and other bodies
Required Readings : European Union Politics, Ch. 13.
Additional Readings: Ever Closer Union, Ch. 10.
RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS/ASSIGNMENTS TO BE HANDED OUT
February 29
(1) Mid-term review.
(2) Guest speaker: Donatella Solda (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Rome). Exact topic yet tbc.
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
March 4
(1) In class mid-term exam.
PART IV: EU POLICY-MAKING
(2) Policy-making in the EU.
Guest speaker: Costanza Hermanin (OSI Foundation, Brussels), tbc.
Required readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 15.
Additional readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
March 7
(1) EU policies I: Economic and monetary policy in times of financial crisis
Required readings: European Union Politics, Chs. 22 and 27.
(2) Guest speaker. Name and exact topic yet tbc.
March 14
(1) EU policies II: enlargement continued? Turkey and the European Union.
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
(2) EU policies III: the EU as a global actor.
Required readings: European Union Politics, Ch. 18.
Additional readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
March 21
(1) EU policies IV: Social policy, common agricultural policy and cohesion policy.
Required readings: European Union Politics, Chs. 20.
(2) Guest speaker: Federico Pancaldi (European Commission, Brussels).
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
March 28: Easter break
April 4
(1) Current developments in the EU counter-terrorism policy I: how to address the foreign fighters and returnees phenomena at best?
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
(2) Current developments in the EU counter-terrorism policy: current or potential EU-US relationship in counter-terrorism matters.
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
PART V: PUBLIC OPINION IN THE EU
April 11
(1) Public opinion – the role of the media in addressing EU matters.
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
(2) Public opinion – Digital diplomacy in the EU: examples and counter-examples.
Guest Speaker: Antonio Deruda (Digital communication consultant, Rome), tbc.
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
PART VI: IN SEARCH OF EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY, IDENTITY AND UNITY: PRESENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES, OR : WHAT WENT WRONG ?
April 18
(1) The European Union as an “Immigrant Nation”: Immigration Policy, and Diversity in the EU.
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
(2) The rise of populism.
Guest speaker: Eva Giovannini (Journalist, Ballarò, Raitre).
Required readings: article or book contribution soon available via Moodle.
April 25
The future of the European Union: how democratic, sustainable and legitimate is the EU?
Final Lecture and discussion; and FINAL REVIEW.
Week of May 2-6: Final exam (exact date yet to be identified).