90524 - Political History of European Integration

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage (cod. 9237)

Learning outcomes

The aim of this class is to describe and study three main dimensions of the European integration process. First of all, the institutional and political one, between the end of the Second World War and Brexit. Secondly the Mediterranean aspect considering the original links with Africa, passing through the entering of Spain, Portugal and Greece into the EEC and the energy issues, till the migration crisis and the Arab Spring. And thirdly the cultural diplomacy dimension, in the attempt to consider in a realistic way difficulties and limits but also opportunities and potentialities of the so called soft power and, at large, of a European foreign policy in the current multipolar world.

Course contents

For better understanding the themes of the classes, the attending students will have to read (compulsory):

M. Gilbert, European integration a concise history, Rowman and Littlefield, 2011

Every class will be divided into two sessions. The first part will offer a general introduction of the planned theme through frontal lesson, while the second part will be based on the discussion and comments on historical documents (political leaders speeches, newspapers articles, institutional documents, etc..). During every class the teacher will provide documents and papers required for the following lesson.

Class 1

European integration: the roots during WWII and the American contribution

Class 2

Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman and Konrad Adenauer: the 1950 moment and the birth of ECSC

Class 3

The “struggle” for a European Defense Community

Class 4

From Messina to Rome, through Venice. The Italian contribution to the birth of EEC

Class 5

The Gaullist moment

Class 6

The Aja moment and the first crucial enlargement; the Euro-Arab dialogue

Class 7

Debates and power point presentations performed by students dealing with European Integration documents

Class 8

The Giscard-Schmidt moment

Class 9

A “socialist Europe” against a “liberal” one? The “short” Mitterrand’s moment and the “long” Delors leadership

Class 10

The “Fall” and its European implications

Class 11

The Maastricht moment and the Barcelona Process

Class 12

A constitutional dream? 2002-2005

Class 13

The road to 2004-2007 “reunion”: history and economy

Class 14

The roots of today’s crisis: euro, Brexit, migration and populism

Class 15

Debates and power point presentations performed by students dealing with European Integration documents


Readings/Bibliography

For attending students

M. Gilbert, European integration a concise history, Rowman and Littlefield, 2011

 

For non attending students

Three compulsory:

M. Gilbert, European integration a concise history, Rowman and Littlefield, 2011

W. Loth, Building Europe, a history of European Integration, Berlin, De Gruyter, 2015

A. Moravcsik, The choice for Europe: social purpose and state power from Messina to Maastricht, London, UCL Press, 1998

And one to choose among the following list:

L. Bonfreschi-G. Orsina-A. Varsori (eds.), European Parties and the European Integration Process, 1945-1992, Bruxelles, Peter Lang, 2015

K. Dyson-K.Featherston, The Road to Maastricht: negotiating economic and monetary union, Oxford, Oxford UP, 1999

A. Milward, The European Rescue of the Nation State, London, Routledge, 2000

D. Preda (ed.), The History of European Monetary Union. Comparing Strategies amidst Prospects for Integration and National Resistance, Bruxelles, Peter Lang, 2016


Teaching methods

The course will be taught through a mixture of formal lectures and discussion classes. Its aim will be to facilitate interaction between lecturer and students and to stimulate debate among students themselves.

Class attendance is compulsory if you decide to be “an attending student”. Otherwise it’s possible to choose the “non attending student” formula.


Assessment methods

For attending students

Two hours final written test. Professor will give four macro questions focused on all the themes approached during the course. The students will have to answer to two of them, writing two short essays (about 500/600 words each).

The final grades will be obtained in this way

25% first presentation

25% second presentation

50% final test

 

For non attending students

Oral examination on four books

Three compulsory:

M. Gilbert, European integration a concise history, Rowman and Littlefield, 2011

W. Loth, Building Europe, a history of European Integration, Berlin, De Gruyter, 2015

A. Moravcsik, The choice for Europe: social purpose and state power from Messina to Maastricht, London, UCL Press, 1998

And one to choose among the following list:

L. Bonfreschi-G. Orsina-A. Varsori (eds.), European Parties and the European Integration Process, 1945-1992, Bruxelles, Peter Lang, 2015

K. Dyson-K.Featherston, The Road to Maastricht: negotiating economic and monetary union, Oxford, Oxford UP, 1999

A. Milward, The European Rescue of the Nation State, London, Routledge, 2000

D. Preda (ed.), The History of European Monetary Union. Comparing Strategies amidst Prospects for Integration and National Resistance, Bruxelles, Peter Lang, 2016 

The final grades will be obtained in this way: 25% for each book.


Teaching tools

Lectures with main topics discussed with students. Multimedia tools.

Office hours

See the website of Michele Marchi