DSPO 25A16 - The Euro, migration and climate change: European challenges and opportunities

The objective of the class is to provide students with a critical understanding of the major issues currently faced by European countries, and the interplay between Member States, European institutions, global challenges and democratic legitimacy concerns. We will analyse the facts to understand the major causes, potential consequences and think of possible solutions to address challenges existing in the euro area, those created by the unprecedented migrant flows in Europe, stemming from climate change. We will also look at the rise of Euroscepticism and the issue of democratic deficit in the European Union. By the end of term students are expected to have acquired a critical approach and a solid understanding of the major issues and debates on the topics covered during the class

No prior knowledge of the European Union is required. To give all students an equal understanding of the basic functioning of the EU institutions, the 2nd and 3rd session will be dedicated to explaining the fundamentals of the institutional functioning and decision-making at the EU level.

50% - Presentation on the assigned research topic (30%) and the follow-up written assignments (20%),

30% - End-of-term exam,

10% - Analytical European news analysis,

10% - Overall participation in class discussions,