56083 - RUSSIA AND REGIONAL POLICIES IN EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

Students are expected to handle with a comparative methodology the most relevant aspects of the region formation and development, construction of its identity, Russian and Western European influences on the Baltic countries, the prospects of regional europeanisation/EUisation as well as the policies of the major inside and outside actors within the so called New Europe. Moreover, students will raise their awareness of New Eastern Europe (namely the Baltic area), the Western Balkans and the Black Sea area.

Contenuti

Learning outcomes:

Students are expected to acquire a comprehensive and interdisciplinary knowledge on the region of New Eastern Europe (NEE) that is located beyond new eastern borders of the enlarged EU and NATO, including in-depth comparative analysis of the post-communist transitions of its countries since 1989/1991 as well its international political context where the Russian and EU/Western policies towards this region are of utmost importance.

Course description:

The course is devoted to the political analysis of the region which is located beyond new eastern borders of the enlarged EU and NATO, there is so-called region of New Eastern Europe (NEE) which is being constructed and developed in the area of the western part of the post-soviet space.

In the beginning the course will focus on the current political debates on the NEE region and its countries, where the key attention will be paid to the process of the post-communist and post-soviet transition of the regional states since 1989/1991, its main dimensions and social actors, the comparative analysis of the commonalities and differences of the post-communist transformations in different regional countries in the context of the modernization and globalization processes. Also the different theoretical region-building approaches will be applied to the area of the NEE.

Dealing with the processes of the post-communist transition in the region of NEE the course will outline the main debates on the causes of the USSR disintegration in 1991 and its implications for the different regional countries. Then the main dimensions of the post-soviet and post-communist transformations will be analyzed through the perspectives of the political/democratic transition, economic transition, nation and state building processes where the debates on the collective memories, identities and soviet legacies are very important. Also, the so-called “color revolutions” and its results will be considered in terms of the political/democratic transition and the debates on the nation, identity and state building.

After the analysis of the post-communists transitions the region of New Eastern Europe will be analyzed in a broader international context, where the policies and strategies of the main global actors towards the region will be outlined (e.g. Russian, EU, U.S., NATO policies) as well as the policies of the NEE countries in the pan-European intergovernmental organizations (e.g. OSCE, the Council of Europe), also important aspects of the intra-regional relations will be considered.

Regarding these issues the main attention will be paid to analysis of the Russian and EU policies towards the NEE region. In particular the Russian domestic debates on the NEE region and the Russian policies towards it will be analyzed including bilateral relations and the functioning of the post-soviet intergovernmental organizations with Russian participation like the Commonwealth of the Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEc), the Customs Union, the Union state of Russia and Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) as well the current debates on the so-called Eurasian integration.

Considering the EU policies towards the NEE region the main attention will be paid to the development of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), EU Eastern Partnership (EaP), the adoption and implementation of the Association Agreements (AA). Also the prospects of the Europeanization/EUisation of the NEE countries will be considered.

In concluding part of the course there will be two comparative interregional and sub-regional case studies:

• The comparative analysis of the New Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans as two post-communist and post-USSR/Yugoslavia disintegrations regions at the EU borders and the EU peripheries.
• The comparative analysis of two sub-regions of the NEE, namely, the Baltic and Black Sea regions as two “post-Cold War regions”, where the main idea is to compare in what different ways both the EU and Russia are involved in these regions and the regional cooperation.

Structure of Lectures:

Issue 1: The Academic and Political Debates on the Region of New Eastern Europe and Post-Soviet Space

(Days 1-4)

• The Problem of the region definition and construction: The NEE region in contemporary political and academic discourses
• Main regional actors
• Post-communist/soviet legacies and post-communist/soviet transition: Main dimensions and different paths of the transformation processes of the different regional countries (political transition; economic transition; collective memories and identities and nations building; the process of the state building)
• The region of diversities: Will the different countries and societies of the region search for a kind of shared regional identity?

  Issue 2: New Eastern Europe and Post-Soviet Space in International Politics and International Institutions

  (Days 4-5)

• New Eastern Europe and problems of international and European security
• U.S. policies towards New Eastern Europe and post-soviet space: Interests and strategies
• NEE and NATO: Cooperation and involvement
• The NEE countries membership in the OSCE and the Council of Europe: influence, conditionality and socialization

Issue 3: The European Union and New Eastern Europe: European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and Eastern Partnership (EaP)

(Days 6-7)

• EU rationale to cooperate with NEE region: EU strategic, political and economic objectives and its implications for the NEE countries
• Development of the EU policies towards the NEE: Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA), European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), EU Eastern Partnership (EaP)
• Association Agreements (AA) and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA)
• EU and security problems within the NEE region
• Debates on Europeanization/EUisation of the NEE: The balance between the EU and domestic factors

  Issue 4: Russia and the Region of New Eastern Europe

  (Days 8-9)

• Russian debates on the Russian identity: Implications for the Russia`s foreign policy
• Russia`s foreign policy ideas and decision-making
• Russia`s policies towards the post-soviet space and New Eastern Europe: Bilateral and multilateral dimensions. The concept of ‘near abroad’ in the Russian political discourses and Russian foreign policy
• The institutions of the regional intergovernmental cooperation within the post-soviet area with Russian participation (The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO); the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEc); the Customs Union; The Union State of Russia and Belarus; the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
• The Russian debates on the Eurasian integration
• Russia`s and the EU policies towards the region of New Eastern Europe: between cooperation, competition and conflicts. The post-soviet space as an area of the EU/West-Russia interactions.

  Issue 5: Interregional and Sub-Regional Comparative Case Studies

  (Day 10)

  New Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans as the Post-Communist/Soviet/Yugoslav Regions and the EU Peripheries: Comparative Analysis

• Post-communist legacies and transitions in the regions: What is in common and what is different?
• The processes of the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia: Comparative analysis
• General trends in the relations between the post-Soviet countries and between the post-Yugoslav countries after 1991: Comparative analysis
• Evolution of the EU policies towards the NEE and the Western Balkans: Comparative analysis
• The prospects of the Europeanisation/EUisation (and EU accession?) for the countries of the NEE and the Western Balkans: Comparative analysis

  The Baltic and Black Sea Regions as Sub-regions of New Eastern Europe: Comparative Analysis

  - Post-communist/post-soviet legacies and transitions: Implications for the developments of the Baltic and Black Sea regions

• Institutions of the regional political and economic cooperation in the Baltic and Black Sea regions and the main problems of the regions construction and development: Comparative analysis
• International political debates on the Baltic and Black Sea regions: Comparative analysis
• The EU, Western institutions and Russian involvement in the Baltic and Black Sea regions: Comparative analysis.

Day 10. Presentations of the research papers drafts by the students

Testi/Bibliografia

Monographs and academic articles:

Adomeit, Hannes. Russia and its Near Neighbourhood: Competition and Conflict with the EU [http://www.coleurop.be/file/content/studyprogrammes/eais/research/adomeit.pdf] . College of Europe Natolin Research Paper, 2011/4.

Blockmans S., Kostanyan H., Vorobiov E. Towards Eurasian Economic Ubion: the Challenge of Integration and Unity. CEPS Special Report, 14 December, 2012 / http://www.ceps.be/book/towards-eurasian-economic-union-challenge-integration-and-unity

Bressand A. Between Kant and Machiavelli: EU foreign policy priorities in the 2010s. // International Affairs. Jan2011, Vol. 87, Issue 1, P. 59-85.

Coppieters [http://www.ceps.eu/author/bruno-coppieters] B., Huysseune [http://www.ceps.eu/author/michel-huysseune] M., Kovziridze [http://www.ceps.eu/author/tamara-kovziridze] T., Noutcheva [http://www.ceps.eu/author/gergana-noutcheva] G., Tocci [http://www.ceps.eu/author/nathalie-tocci] N., Emerson [http://www.ceps.eu/content/michael-emerson] M., Vahl [http://www.ceps.eu/author/marius-vahl] M. Europeanization and Conflict Resolution: Case Studies from the European Periphery. 2004.

Debardeleben J. Applying constructivism to understanding EU-Russian relations // International Politics, Special Issue: Russia and new international order, 49, 4 (Jul.2012)

Delcour L. Shaping the post-Soviet Space? EU Policies and Approaches to Region-Building. Ashgate. 2011

Emerson M. After the Vilnius fiasco: Who is to blame? What is to be done? CEPS Essays, 21 January, 2014. / http://www.ceps.eu/book/after-vilnius-fiasco-who-blame-what-be-done

The European Neighbourhood After August 2008. Republic of Letters Publishing. 2011.- Chapter 8: Izotov A., khudoley, K. Russia and the European Union: Partnership and Conflict Undefined. PP. 199-232.

Green S. (ed.) Engaging history: The problems and politics of memory in Russia and the post-Soviet space. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - Carnegie Moscow Center. Working Papers # 2. 2010 / http://carnegieendowment.org/files/WP_2_2010_engaging.pdf

Hamilton D., Mangott G. (eds.) The New Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova. Center for Trans-Atlantic Relations. Washington D.C., Austrian Institute of International Affaires. 2007 / http://transatlantic.sais-jhu.edu/bin/o/y/new_eastern_europe_text.pdf

Izotov A. Russia and the EU`s Eastern Partnership in the Context of the EU-Russia Relations // Eastern Partnership Review, ECEAP. No. 15. «The Post Vilnius Challenges of the Eastern Partnership». December, 2013. PP. 7-18. / http://eceap.eu/ul/Raport15_dets2013__2_.pdf

Judith, K. New Wine in Old Wineskins: Promoting Political Reforms through the New European Neighbourhood Policy // Journal of Common Market Studies, 2006 Volume 44. Number 1. pp. 29–55. / http://www.luiss.it/mes/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/kelley_JCMS_2006.pdf

Kuchins A., Zevelev I. Russian Foreign Policy: Continuity in Change [http://proxy.library.spbu.ru:2061/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie45PFJsq6zTq%2bk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6trUq3pbBIr6ieTbirsVKvqp5Zy5zyit%2fk8Xnh6ueH7N%2fiVa%2bpsE21qK5RtK2khN%2fk5VXw66R84LPfUeac8nnls79mpNfsVbSvtUuwra9JpNztiuvX8lXk6%2bqE8tv2jAAA&hid=25] // Washington Quarterly. Winter2010/2012, Vol. 35, Issue 1, P.147-161. / http://csis.org/files/publication/twq12winterkuchinszevelev.pdf

Langbein, Julia. European Union governnance towards the Eastern Neighborhood: Transcending or Redrawing Europe`s East-West Duvude? // Journal of Common Market Studies, Jan 2014, Vol. 52, Issue 1., P. 157-174.

Lavenex [http://proxy.library.spbu.ru:3701/action/doSearch?action=runSearch&type=advanced&result=true&prevSearch=%2Bauthorsfield%3A(Lavenex%2C+Sandra)], Sandra; Schimmelfennig [http://proxy.library.spbu.ru:3701/action/doSearch?action=runSearch&type=advanced&result=true&prevSearch=%2Bauthorsfield%3A(Schimmelfennig%2C+Frank)], Frank. EU rules beyond EU borders: theorizing external governance in European politics // Journal of European Public Policy, 2009, No. 6. [http://proxy.library.spbu.ru:3701/doi/abs/10.1080/13501760903087696]

Laruelle, Marlene. Eurasia, Eurasianism, Eurasian Union: Terminological gaps and overlaps. Ponars Eurasia Policy Memo No. 366. July, 2015.

Mahncke, D., Gstohl, S. (eds.) Europe`s Near Abroad. Brussels, P.I.E. Peter Lang, 2008, College of Europe Studies, vol. 4.

Makarychev A. The Crisis in Ukraine and the Baltic Sea Region: A Spillover of the Conflict?

Ponars Eurasia Policy Memo No.345. September, 2014.

Malfliet K., Verpoest L., Vinokurov E. (eds.) The CIS, the EU and Russia. Challenges of Integration. - New York : Palgrave Macmillan. 2007.

Monaghan, Andrew. The New Russian Foreign Policy Concept: Evolving Continuity. Chatham house Programme Paper, April 2013.

Neumann. I. Uses of the Other: “The East” in European Identity Formation. University of Minnesota Press. 1999. Chapter 5. Making Regions: Central Europe. PP. 143-161.

Pop-Eleches, Grigore; Robertson, Graeme. After the revolution // Problems of Post-Communism. Jul/Aug2014, Vol. 61 Issue 4, p3-22.

Popescu, N. Russia’s Soft Power Ambitions. Brussels: CEPS. 2006. Ceps Policy Brief. No. 115.

Riabov A. The Post-soviet states // Russian Politics & Law. Mar/Apr2014, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p30-43.

Sakwa, R. The Сrisis of Russian Democracy: The Dual State, Factionalism, and the Medvedev Succession. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011.

Trenin, D., Lo, Bobo The landscape of Russian policy decision-making. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 2005

Trenin, D. The End of the EU-Russia Relations as We Know It. Carnegie Endownment for Peace. 25.12.2013.

Trenin D. Vladimir Putin’s Fourth Vector // Russia in Global Affairs, 30 of June, 2013. / http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/print/number/Vladimir-Putins-Fourth-Vector---16048

Triantaphyllou, D. The European Union and the Black Sea Region in Search of a Narrative or a New Paradigm // Journal of Balkan & Near Eastern Studies. Sep2014, Vol. 16 Issue 3, p286-299.

Wilson A. The Ukrainians. Unexpected nation. Third edition. London, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009.

Wilson, Andrew; Popescu, Nicu. Russian and European neighbourhood policies compared // [http://proxy.library.spbu.ru:2061/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie45PFJsq6zTq%2bk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6trUq2pbBIr6ieULipslKzq55Zy5zyit%2fk8Xnh6ueH7N%2fiVaunrkqyqbRNr5zqeezdu4rznOJ6u9e3gKTq33%2b7t8w%2b3%2bS7TLKos0q1p68%2b5OXwhd%2fqu37z4uqM4%2b7y&hid=7] Journal of Southeast European & Black Sea Studies. Sep2009, Vol. 9, Issue 3, P.317-331.

Wood A. Russia's Business Diplomacy [http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/papers/view/171235] . Chatham House Briefing Paper, May 2011.

Primary sources and documents:

Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (2016)

Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (2013)

Putin V. Speech at a meeting with Russian ambassadors and permanent representatives in international organizations. 01.07.2014 / .http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/46131

Medvedev D. Speech at meeting with Russian ambassadors and permanent representatives in international organizations. 12.07.2010. / http://eng.kremlin.ru/transcripts/610

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament “Wider Europe – Neighborhood: A New Framework for Relations with our Eastern and Southern Neighbours”. Brussels. 11 March 2003. COM (2003) 104 final // http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/com03_104_en.pdf

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council “Eastern Partnership”. Brussels, 3 of December, 2008. COM (2008) 823 final. // http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0823:FIN:EN:PDF

Joint Communication from the European Parliament, the Council, European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Review of the European Neighborhood Policy” 18.11.2015 / http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/neighbourhood/pdf/key-documents/151118_joint-communication_review-of-the-enp_en.pdf

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions concerning the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Brussels. 10.06.2009. COM(2009) 248 final / http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/communic/baltic/com_baltic_en.pdf

Northern Dimension Policy Framework Document. 2006 / http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/north_dim/docs/frame_pol_1106_en.pdf

Political Declaration on the Northern Dimension Policy. 2006 / http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/north_dim/docs/pol_dec_1106_en.pdf

Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament “Black Sea Synergy – A New Regional Cooperation Initiative”. Brussels, 11 of April, 2007. COM(2007) 160 final. // http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/com07_160_en.pdf

Charter of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. 1998. / http://www.bsec-organization.org/documents/LegalDocuments/statutory/charter/Download/CHARTER%20web%20080630.pdf

Metodi didattici

The course will be delivered in the form of lectures, discussions and presentations by the students, thus every lecture will include the seminar elements.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Presentations in class by the students on the drafts of the research papers

Research papers

Final in-class written exam

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Computer, power point software and projector

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Aleksandr Izotov