Admission requirements
Participation in the seminar is only permitted if the propaedeutic phase has been passed (60 EC).
Successful conclusion of the lecture “Politics of the European Union”.
Description
In the context of recent EU crises, it has been revealed that there are severe challenges on the path towards an ever-closer Union. Member states have often faced difficulties reaching a consensus on how to address problems together. Where they managed, they did not always consider the best option to transfer new competences or authorities to the EU. What makes it so difficult for the EU to continue deepening integration? What are possible scenarios for the future of European integration? These questions are central to this Bachelor seminar. We address these questions in three steps. First, we conceptualise crises in the EU context and revisit the most influential theories of European integration with a focus on the analytical perspectives and tools they offer. Next, we review the most significant crises that have put the EU under pressure in the last decade and analyse what challenges to or deficits of the EU they have exposed. Analysed crises include the sovereign-debt crisis, the asylum crisis, Brexit, the Covid-19 crisis and the unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine. In the third step, we critically engage with the ongoing debate on the future of the EU. We review different proposals and scenarios of how European integration could proceed and evaluate them against their capability to respond to the previously identified challenges. At the end of this course, students will have acquired a deeper understanding of a) the analytical toolkits and perspectives offered by the most essential theories of European integration, b) the course of recent crises of European integration and the challenges they exposed and c) the pros and cons of different scenarios for the future of the EU.
Course objectives
To familiarise students with the academic debates on the current challenges to European integration, EU crises and the existing proposals for the future of the EU
To encourage students to evaluate critically current dynamics of European integration, assess different proposals that are discussed and express their informed opinions in creative forms
To enable students to identify relevant research puzzles, formulate a research question and utilise theoretical perspectives to design coherent research projects
Timetable
Time and date on which the course is offered or a link to the website. The administration will complete this with the link to the website.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Short reflection notes on readings in class (25%)
Opinion Piece on the Future of European integration (choose between blog entry, video or podcast) (25%)
Final Academic Paper (50%)
Reading list
The course readings consist of academic journal articles and book chapters. The detailed reading list is part of the syllabus and will be available before the start of the course on Brightspace.
Students who wish to familiarise themselves with theories, crises and proposals discussed throughout the seminar can consult the following two sources:
Riddervold, M.; Trondal, J. & Newsome, A. (eds.) (2021). The Palgrave Handbook of EU crises. London: Palgrave Macmillian
European Commission (2017). White Paper on the Future of Europe. Brussels: European Commission.
Registration
See 'Practical Information'
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable'