OVERVIEW

The aim of the course is to make the student understand the main stages of the European integration process both from a political-institutional point of view and from an economic perspective. The course will examine the historical development of the idea of ​​Europe, the birth and evolution of the movements for European unity, the history of the Communities and then of the European Union, the enlargements, the Treaties, the prospects and criticality of the EU. The last lessons will be dedicated to today's Europe and to the new challenges dictated by the climate crisis and the health emergency, by growing inequalities and migratory processes, up to the new international scenarios resulting from the war in Ukraine.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide knowledge and develop skills that will help students to: -understand the historical origins, through an adequate knowledge of the past, of the problems that the European Union has to face; -to orient themselves consciously in the problems of the contemporary international system and to make know how to make connections between historical facts; -to be aware of the challenges facing the European Union and to be able to critically evaluate the EU's responses to these challenges; - to find bibliographical and documentary sources, in particular digital ones and to be able to interpret them; - to draft and present papers on case studies related to the course.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the student is able to:

Have hints on the history of the idea of ​​Europe;
Know the main stages of the European integration process from a historical, political and economic point of view;
Identify and analyze the main sources on the topics covered by the course;
Develop critical judgment skills;
Develop analyzes and critical insights on individual topics of the course;
Present personal research, using appropriate vocabulary;
play roles, within simulations of meetings of European institutions.

Teaching also contributes to the pursuit of the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of contemporary history, with particular reference to the international context of the second half of the twentieth century.  

TEACHING METHODS

The course includes 18 lessons lasting 2 hours each (9 of which will be held by Prof. Luca Barbaini), during which slides will be projected, photocopies distributed, moments of comparison and discussion organized. Attending students will also have to individually present a research on specific topics that will be indicated in class.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will have the following structure:

1. European projects in the Resistance
2. The Cold War, the Marshall Plan, and American support for European unity 
3 The emergence of movements for European unity and the Hague Congress (1948)
4 The first European organisations (OECE, Council of Europe, the European Payments Union)
5. The Schuman Declaration and the birth of the European Community
6. The European Defence Community and the Political Community Project
7. From the failure of the EDC to the Treaties of Rome
8. The Europe of Charles De Gaulle
9. The CAP and the Kennedy proposal of equal partnership
10. The Hague Conference and the crisis of the 1970s
11. The Werner Plan, the monetary snake and the EMS
12. The direct elections to the European Parliament;
13. The institutional reforms of the 1980s;
15. The Europe of Maastricht and EMU;
16. Parliamentary groups and European political parties;
17. Enlargement to the East and the story of the Constitutional Treaty;
18. The Lisbon Treaty, Budgetary Union and the Next Generation EU
19. The Union Facing the Great Challenges of the Present.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Recommended texts:E. Calandri, M.E. Guasconi, R. Ranieri, Storia politica ed economica dell'integrazione europea, Napoli, Edises, 2015; Umberto Morelli, Joanna Sondel-Cedarmas, Storia dell'integrazione europea, Milano, Guerini, 2022. 

For non-attending students, moreover, a reading of their choice from: Guido Levi, L’europeismo ai tempi dell’Assemblea Costituente, Padova-Milano, Cedam-Wolters/Kluwer, 2020; Marco Mascia, Daniela Preda, Francesco Velo (a cura di), A sessant'anni dai trattati di Roma. Dal mercato comune all'unione economica e monetaria: una prospettiva storica, Bari, Cacucci, 2018;  Leonardo Morlino, Uguaglianza, libertà, democrazia. L'Europa dopo la Grande recessione, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GUIDO LEVI (President)

LUCA BARBAINI (President Substitute)

MARIA ELEONORA GUASCONI (Substitute)

LUCIA MARTINES (Substitute)

DANIELA PREDA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 16, 2024

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam takes place in oral form and lasts an average of 15-20 minutes. Attending students will also be assessed the report presented during the course. For non-attending students, an in-depth study of the optional volumes indicated in the form and on the web classroom is provided

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The Commission is appointed by the Council of Department and chaired by the course lecturers. Evaluation is based primarily on knowledge of the subject. Expository ability, the correct use of specialist vocabulary, and the ability to approach the topics studied during the course critically are also assessed.

Exam schedule