Europe in Crisis? European Politics and Policies
Live Session: Thursdays, 9 - 11 a.m. CET (Berlin time)
Duration: Sep. 2 - Dec. 2, 2021
Language of Instruction: English
Contact Hours: 30
ECTS Credits: 6
European Politics and the history and politics of European Integration more specifically are characterized by crises, as many contemporary and current observers have highlighted over and over again. In the past two decades, Europe has been shaken by a series of crises – from the failed constitution and the financial crisis to the Migration, Brexit and COVID crises, the rise of populism and the disintegration of democracy in some of the newer member states. Why is European integration apparently so crisis-ridden? And: to what extent has European integration actually been propelled by crises?
This course will introduce students to the history and politics of the European Union (EU), its peculiar institutions and a number of its key policies. The course will address and explain the – often crisis-ridden – processes of widening and deepening of this unique political entity, drawing on some relevant theorizing. Students will learn how institutions changed and how policies are made, as well as the role of the different supranational and intergovernmental institutions. Next to the formal institutions, interest representation, lobbying, and the media have shaped processes of policy making and polity building, and crisis responses. Special emphasis will be placed on Europe’s current crises – the Euro crisis, the migration crisis, Brexit – and the lingering challenges of the environmental and climate change.
The sessions consist of lectures, literature-based discussions, a close reading of sources, in smaller and larger groups. Students will be expected to actively participate, collaborate in groups and prepare oral presentations. A special highlight of the course is a hands-on semester-long group project of developing a lobbying strategy directed at the European institutions. The course also includes a presentation and an opportunity to discuss with a guest speaker from the Commission’s Team Europe.