European Integration: Politics of the EU (POLS30018)

This subject provides students with an in-depth analysis of the politics of the European Union (EU). It analyses the policy-making of the EU and examines the tensions between nationalism and European integration in the attitudes of the member states and other participants in the integration process and especially in recent crises, as well as the EU's role in global affairs. The subject analyses the institutions and participants in the EU, including a detailed examination of attitudes and roles of the 27 member states and the benefits and disadvantages of their membership in the EU. It scrutinises key EU policies, including the Common Market and the Euro, Foreign and Security Policy, External Trade and Immigration. It further discusses the issues raised by the EU's crises, including the contested topics of belonging and legitimacy and Europe's boundaries.