OVERVIEW

The module aims at illustrating the governance of the EU governance in the post-Lisbon era. Institutions, actors, decision-making process are the main issues of the course, which devotes specific attention to the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU. In addition, the module provides practical skills for students interested in career opportunities within the European Union.       

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the module is to introduce students to the governance of the EU governance in the post-Lisbon era. The students will acquire knowledge on institutions, actors, decision-making processes. The course devotes specific attention to the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU. In addition, the module provides practical skills for students interested in career opportunities within the European Union.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The module highlights key-issues, actors, decision-making process in the European Union, devoting a specific attention to Foreign and Defense policy, comparing the national and the EU perspective. The main goal is to provide basic knowledge on EU as a political system in order to address reasons, consequences and solutions to the current crisis of the EU (from Brexit to Euroscepticism). The module provides theoretical and practical skills to those interested in EU politics, with a specific attention devoted to Foreign and Defense in Europe. In that sense, the module is one of the first courses in Italy that adopts the approaches of the Foreign Policy Analysis. 

Specifically: 

- The module aims at providing basic knowledge on the EU political system 

- The module aims at providing a comprehensive conceptual toolkit to understand Foreign and Defense policy in Europe and within the EU 

- The module will illustrate the debate over causes and consequences of the EU crisis 

- The module aims to provide students the proper tools to understand the complexity of the EU political system, devoting - also through active learning and role-playing – a specific attention to foreign and defense policy 

By attending the module and its activities the students will: 

- Describe the main features of the EU political system 

- Identify the role and the nature of crucial actors in the EU 

- Enhance proper knowledge to address foreign and defense policy issues in Europe 

- Understand how theories and perspectives explain or interpret the crisis of the EU and the future development 

- Understand how theories and perspectives explain or interpret crucial foreign and defense policy issues in Europe 

- Understand how research centres, institutions, and other actors practically deal with EU issues
- Analyse report, scientific papers, official docs on EU, with specific attention devoted to foreign and defense policy - Present papers and documents in the classroom, also through simulation and role-playing 

PREREQUISITES

A preliminary knowledge of the EU political system can help but it not represent a vital prerequisite.

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching activities will be based also on active learning, role-playing (simulations) and seminars with scholars and experts on the field of EU politics, EU foreign policy and defense in order to foster debates and a constant involvement of students. Movies, documents, blogs, papers will be adopted. The course will be entirely provided in English

At the end of the course, a simulation of the European Council will be organized
 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Contents

1. The EU Political system  (theories; institutions)
2. Parties and public opinion: euroscepticism and populism
3. EU Foreign and Defense Policy

Focus: Brexit, terrorism, migrations, crises at the borders, the war in Ukraine and the EU

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Compulsory texts

Menon, A., “European Defence Policy from Lisbon to Libya”, Survival, 53:3, 2011, 75-90. 

Hix & Hoyland, The Political System of the European Union, Palgrave 2011 (anche edizioni successive, fino 2022)

Tardy , T. “Does European defense really matter?” European Security, 2018 

Attending students should also read 2 papers (4 for non attending students) at their choice. Text suggested (additional texts will be added at the beginning of the course) : 

EU Strategic Compass 2022 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/strategic-compass-security-and-defence-0_en

H. Mayer and M. Weiss, “The Handbook of European Defense Policies and Armed Forces”, Oxford University Press, only the “Introduction” 

Pirozzi, N. “The European Union and Civilian Crisis Management after Lisbon”, European Foreign Affairs Review, Vol. 20, No. 2 (2015), p. 287-306 

Bicchi, F., Voltolini, B., “EU democracy assistance in the Mediterranean: what relationship with the Arab uprisings?”, Democracy and Security, 9 (1-2), 2013, 80-99. 

Bonvicini, G., (a cura di) Il Parlamento europeo per la nuova Unione, IAI, 2014, http://www.iai.it/it/pubblicazioni/il- parlamento-europeo-la-nuova-unione. I Capitoli 2 e 4. 

Browning C. S. and Joenniemi, P., “Geostrategies of the European Neighbourhood Policy”, European Journal of International Relations, 2008, 14: 519-551 

Cross., J- P. “Everyone’s a Winner (almost): Bargaining Success in the Council of Ministers of the European Union.” European Union Politics 14, no. 1 (March 1, 2013): 70–94 

Council of the European Union, A Secure Europe in a Better World: European Security Strategy, 2003. [In alternativa - The EU Global Strategy 2016 ] 

D’Amato S. & Andrea Terlizzi (2022): Strategic European counterterrorism? An empirical analysis, European Security 

Fabbrini, S., “The European Union and the Libyan Crisis”, International Politics, 2014, p. 177-195. Franchino, F. (2013) 'Challenges to Liberal Intergovernmentalism', European Union Politics 14, 2: 324–337 

Ferrera M., Giuliani M. (a cura di), Governance e politiche dell'Unione Europea, (Bologna: Il Mulino, 2008), solo “Parte prima: Le teorie dell’integrazione”. 

Giumelli, F., “New Analytical Categories for Assessing EU Sanctions”, The International Spectator, 2010, 45:3, 131-144 Hegghammer, T., “The Future of Jihadism in Europe: A Pessimistic View”, Perspective on Terrorism, 10(6), 2016. 

Howorth, J. The EU as a Global Actor: Grand Strategy for a Global Grand Bargain? Journal of Common Market Studies, 2008, 48(3):455-474. 

Missiroli, A., “The New EU ‘Foreign Policy’ System after Lisbon: A Work in Progress”, European Foreign Affairs Review 15: 427–452, 2010. 

Smith, K. E., Still ‘civilian power EU’? European Foreign Policy Unit Working Paper 2005/1. 

Strazzari F., Coticchia, F., “High Stakes, Low Strategies: the European Union and the Fight against Transnational Organised Crime in State-building Missions”, Interdisciplinary Political Studies, 2/1, March 2012, pp.8-23. 

Tardy, T., CSDP in action – What contribution to international security? EU Institute for Security Studies, 2015. 

Treib, O. “Implementing and Complying with EU Governance Outputs.” Living Reviews in European Governance 9, no. 1 (2014). doi:10.12942/lreg-2014-1. 

Additional texts on the EU defense and the war in Ukraine will be provided in class

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

FABRIZIO COTICCHIA (President)

EDOARDO CORRADI

GIULIO LEVORATO (Substitute)

FABIO MAINA (Substitute)

MATTEO MAZZIOTTI DI CELSO (Substitute)

MARGHERITA SALVIA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second Semester - Lessons start March 26, 2025

See Aulaweb for additional info

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam, questions on the programme

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will assess the students' knolwledge regaridn the topics addressed during the course

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

The course contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda 2030:

Goal 4: Quality Education

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

 “Si consigliano gli studenti con certificazione di DSA, di disabilità o di altri bisogni educativi speciali di contattare sia il referente Prof. Aristide Canepa (aristide.canepa@unige.it), sia il docente, all’inizio del corso, per concordare modalità didattiche e d’esame che, nel rispetto degli obiettivi dell’insegnamento, tengano conto delle modalità di apprendimento individuali e forniscano idonei strumenti compensativi”.