Political Parties in the EU System, ES

Sylabus

Winter Semester 2013

Date: Thursday 12:30 – 13:50

Room: J4019

Radko Hokovsky, M.E.S.

Jinonice, No. 3010

Office hours: Thursday, 11:00 - 12:30

E-mail: [e-mail]

Award: 6 credits

Availability of the course:

This is an elective specializing course advantageous mainly to students of European studies specialisation (ES) and Political Science as well as Erasmus and exchange students. The number of students in the course is limited to 25.

Prerequisites:

None.

Co-requisite:

None.

Annotation:

The course offers a comprehensive overview of political parties as important actors within the political system of the European Union, as well as insight into the functioning and operation of the Euro-parties (EU transnational party federations), including most recent empirical findings as well as theoretical reflections.

Course objectives:

The course aims to provide an advanced understanding of the political system of the EU. More specifically it aims to provide the students with knowledge - empirical as well as theoretical - on the operation and functioning of political parties as actors in the EU system. The course is intended to provide a thorough discussion on selected cases of political parties as actors in the EU system.

Teaching methods:

The course consists of 12 lectures and 12 seminars, starting with an introductory session. Standard structure of each class:

A) SEMINAR 1) news from the EU party politics - discussion (10 minutes) 2) presentations by students, plus discussion (30 minutes)

B) LECTURE 1) lecture on a new topic (30 minutes) 2) discussion (10 minutes)

Students are expected to have read and familiarized themselves with the required reading for each lecture (articles/book sections). Each student is expected once during the semester to present a case study (list of possible topics will be provided at the beginning of the course). Continuous work through the whole semester is required. Each student has to deliver a brief essay at the end of the course. On voluntary basses students can engage in research tasks assigned by the class tutor.

Learning outcomes:

After completing the course, students should be able to explain what is the role of political parties in the political system of the European Union. They should be able to distinguish between the three categories of party organizations in the EU system (national parties, EP political groups, Europarties) and to identify their main characteristics, ways of operation and interaction with other actors and institutions in the EU system. Finally, students will learn about the major avenues of research on political parties in the EU and their theoretical reflection.

Course assessment: a) Class presentation - a 10-minute presentation on a chosen topic (maximum 22 presenters)

= 1/3 of the mark b) Brief essay - 1500 - 2000 words, approx. 5 pages (to be presented by 20 January 2014; via email to [e-mail])

= 1/3 of the mark c) Active class participation - regular preparation in the classes and active discussion in the seminar; maximum 3 absences in the seminar per semester are tolerated

= 1/3 of the mark d) Research tasks - one of the above mentioned basic requirements can be supplemented by completing a research task in the research on the political parties in the EU assigned by the tutor

= 0 - 1/3 of the mark

Assessment Points

Presentation 5

Essay 5

Participation 5

Total 15

Marks Points

Excellent 15-13

Very Good 12-10

Good 9-7

Presentations on Europarties must follow this basic outline:

General overview: historical evolution, organizational structure, leadership, main member parties.

Course outline: 1. Introduction: European Union in front of the elections 2. Political system of the EU, legislative decision-making, main actors 3. Conceptions of representative democracy and the EU 4. Political parties; theoretical and historical perspective 5. EU party system: National parties, EP Groups and Europarties 6. Political Groups in the European Parliament 7. Europarties – historical evolution 8. Europarties – current situation 9. Europarties – theoretical conceptions 10. Party democracy in the European Union 11. EU party system - theoretical approaches 12. Perspectives, challenges and conclusions

Course schedule: 1. Class: Thursday, 3 October 2013

Seminar: Introductory session – overview of the course and discussion about its focus

Lecture: Introduction: European Union in front of the elections 2. Class: Thursday, 10 October 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Europarties and political parties in EU-oriented media: EUobserver, EurActiv b. Party political profiles of the top EU representatives

Lecture: Political system of the EU, legislative decision-making, main actors 3. Class: Thursday, 17 October 2013

Seminar presentations: a. European People's Party – general overview b. Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) – general overview

Lecture: Conceptions of representative democracy and the EU 4. Class: Thursday, 24 October 2013

Seminar presentations: a. European People's Party and the Group – programme overview b. Party of European Socialists – general overview

Lecture: Political parties; theoretical and historical perspective 5. Class: Thursday, 31 October 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – general overview b. Party of European Socialists and the Group - programme overview

Lecture: EU party system: National parties, EP Groups and Europarties 6. Class: Thursday, 7 November 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party – general overview b. Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe – general overview

Lecture: Political Groups in the European Parliament 7. Class: Thursday, 14 November 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and the Group - programme overview b. European Green Party – general overview

Lecture: Europarties – historical evolution 8. Class: Thursday, 21 November 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – general overview b. European Green Party and the Group – programme overview

Lecture: Europarties – current situation 9. Class: Thursday, 28 November 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists – general overview b. European Conservatives and Reformists Group – general overview

Lecture: Europarties – theoretical conceptions 10. Class: Thursday, 5 December 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists and the Group – programme overview b. Party of the European Left – general overview

Lecture: Party democracy in the European Union 11. Class: Thursday, 12 December 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left – general overview b. Party of the European Left and the Group – programme overview

Lecture: EU party system - theoretical approaches 12. Class: Thursday, 19 December 2013

Seminar presentations: a. Minor Europarties represented in the EP b. Minor Europarties outside the EP

Lecture: Perspectives, challenges and conclusions

Anotace

The course offers a comprehensive overview of political parties as important actors within the political system of the European Union, as well as insight into the functioning and operation of the Euro-parties (EU transnational party federations), including most recent empirical findings as well as theoretical reflections.