| Kommentar |
It is a challenge to define Europe as a geographic, economic or political term. But still, the European Union (EU) is the most exciting contemporary political system being shaped, transformed and strengthened affecting the lives of vast populations. The enlargement of the EU was a major dimension of European integration and has functioned as one of EU’s major policy tools. Currently, the dramatic crises in Syria and Ukraine, managing the post-financial crisis and migration create challenges for unity and diversity in the wider Europe. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how the EU is governed, by whom, in whose interests, and to what ends. This course explores the origins and motives behind the creation of the European Union and the wider European political project. It offers a reflection on the institutions and social forces in order to understand the trajectory of European Integration and the history of successive EU enlargements. It also analyses the political dreams and rationalities embedded in various attempts to govern wider Europe. Special attention will be given to the analysis of the EU foreign and security policy towards the Mediterranean while placing the European Union within a changing international context. |
