DATE TOPIC
1. October 5th 2023 Introduction
2. October 12th 2023 Interwar Projects of European Unity
3. October 19th 2023 German Problem is Europe’s Problem
4. October 26th 2023 Battle over Europe (session will take place online)
5. November 2nd 2023 Europe in Doldrums
6. November 9th 2023 Integration Gains Speed
7. November 16th 2023 Towards European Union
8. November 23rd 2023 The European Union
9. November 30th 2023 Reform and the “Big Bang” Enlargement
10. December 7th 2023 Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty
11. December 14th 2023 The Eurozone Crisis
12. December 21st 2023 European Refugee Crisis and Brexit
- Lectures will be held Thursdays 08:00 - 9:20 at Jinonice campus, room B 316
- course readings/assignments are available on Moodle
- consultation hours: Thursdays after class in room C 514
This course is designed for students of political science, international relations and humanities who want to gain deeper knowledge of the European Union and its integration processes. It will offer students a comprehensive overview of European integration history, European Union institutions, policies, personalities, treaties and key historical decisions which continue to shape present day policy-making environment.
Throughout the semester, step by step, we will learn about the post-WWII context in which European integration took root, the early European Communities and the reasons behind their inception, enlargement and transformation; we will cover the early years of integration as well as the crises the Communities faced when great political personalities such as Charles de Gaulle or Margaret Thatcher clashed with ideas of supranational governance. We will cover the transformation of economic communities into a political and even a normative union in the post-Cold War era and debate the challenges that await the European Union in the wake of the financial crisis and Brexit today.
Since this course is predominantly knowledge-based, lectures will be the preferred format. This of course does not exclude student participation throughout the course, whether in form of in-class discussion or home work with period documents and discussion of their relevance.