4509305: CF_The European Union facing the challenge of multiple crises

Description

• Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2017, the European Union (EU) seems to find itself in a situation of multiple, intertwined crises. The course consists of three parts: first, it will introduce how the political system of the EU works, investigate into the big trends that have the potential to challenge today's societies and drive crises, and discuss what 'crisis' means within the European integration project. Second, the course will address the causes of and the responses to the EU's multiple crises (such as the financial and economic crisis, the migration crisis, BREXIT, the crisis of democracy), and highlight the political, legal, economic and social dimensions of those crises. And third, students will debate scenarios on the future of the EU.

Learning Outcomes

• Students demonstrate knowledge of the political processes, policies and politics of EU crises management
• Students apply critical analysis about the role of crises in politics, the current state of European integration and the future prospects of the Union
• Students will learn to formulate critical judgments and arrive at conclusions

• Students develop competences in research about EU crises politics and management
• Students develop communication skills

Lectures Method

• Interactive lecture
• Discussions
• Oral presentations (ca. 15 minutes) either individually or in small groups (depending on number of participants) followed by a debate organised by the presenter(s

Literature

• McCormick, John (2017), Understanding the European Union - A Concise Introduction, 7th edition, Basingstoke: MacMillan Palgrave [Chapters 1, 3, 4, 6].
• Dinan, Desmond/Nugent, Neill/Paterson, William E. (eds) (2017), The European Union in Crisis, Basingstoke: MacMillan Palgrave [Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17].
• Laffan, Brigid (ed) (2016), Europe's Union in Crisis: Tested and Contested, Special Issue of West European Politics, 39(5) [Chapters by Krotz/Maher; Laffan; Hobolt/Tilley].

• CEPS (2017), Re-group and reform: Ideas for a more responsive and effective EU, Report of a CEPS Task Force, Brussels.
• European Commission (2014), Europeans, the European Union and the Crisis, Standard Eurobarometer 81 / Spring 2014.
• European Commission (2017), White Paper on the Future of Europe - Reflections and Scenarios for the EU27 by 2025, Brussels.
• Juncker, Jean-Claude (2017), State of the Union Speech, 13 September 2017.

Materials

It is recommended to regularly check websites of think tanks, e.g., Bruegel (http://bruegel.org), Centre for European Policy Studies (https://www.ceps.eu), European Policy Centre (http://www.epc.eu), Friends of Europe (http://www.friendsofeurope.org), as well of the European Commission

Comments

Cross-faculty elective subject:
Notice the special Multi-stage allocation process.