InstitutionsandchallengesoftheEuropean Union

Seminar- Session1

SamuelB.H.FaureAssociateProfessorofPoliticalScience

Outline

• I. What do you know about the EU?

• II. Opening remarks on the syllabus

• III. Some methodological remarks

• IV. Compulsory reading: Georgakakis, 2020

I.What doyou knowabouttheEU?

II.Opening remarks (Syllabus)

• 1) Tips

• 2) Compulsory readings

• 3) Aim

• 4) Assessment

• 4) General reminders

• 5) Sources

1)Tips

• Prepare each session of seminar by reading (at least)the compulsory reading

• Be proactive during each session

2) Where to find the compulsoryreadings?

https://samuelbhfaure.com/

3) What’s the main aim of theseminar?• Understanding the EU through its main institutions andpolicy challenges

• Going beyond your opinion, by sharing facts andanalyses

• Complementarity between the seminar and the lecture

4) Assessment: three exercises

• Two individual exercises• Debating online (40%)• Oral participation (30%)

• One collective exercise• Press review (30%)

a)Debatingonline(40%)

• Compulsory reading for each session

• On the ‘Forum’ area of the Campus numérique and thestarting point of each ‘eDebate’ is a topic (see syllabus)

• Session 2. Who governs the EU?

• Also a way to prepare students to intervene actively(oral participation) during each session of the seminar

b)Oralparticipation(30%)

• Oral participation is a pillar of the seminar

• Be prepared to talk about EU institutions and challengesduring two hours

c) Press review (30%)

• In a group of two or three students

• 8 minutes (neither 7 nor 9 minutes)

• Three or four articles on one topic related to currentevents

• Interest your classmates: It is an oral presentation, not aspeech that you read

4)Generalreminders

• Class starts at 8.30

• Seminars are mandatory

• Activate the ‘silent’ mode of yourphone

• The seminar is organized into fivetwo-hour sessions

• Each session is organized into two55-minute sequences and a five-minute break

5)Sources

• How would you find information about ‘Institutions andchallenges of the EU’?

5)Sources(see syllabus)

• Textbooks/HandbooksinEnglishandFrench

• Scientificarticles

• Informationdatabase(Europresse)

• Multilingualglossary

• Specialized informationwebsites (blog,think tank,etc.)

III.Some methodological remarks

• Howdoyou analyseanarticle/bookchapter?

• Youneed ananalytical grid:

• a)Context• b)Content(allthearticleonly thearticle)• c)Comments

III.Some methodological remarks

• Howdoyou analyseanarticle/bookchapter?• Youneed ananalytical grid:

• a)Context• Who is theauthor?• When was thepaper written?• Where was thepaper published?

III.Some methodological remarks

• Howdoyou analyseanarticle/bookchapter?• Youneed ananalytical grid:

• b)Content(allthearticleonly thearticle)• Question(themainone)• Argument(ifyou haveoneidea tokeep inmind)• Results (mainconclusions)• Other infothat may be useful (fortheseminar)• Contentyou don’t understand

III.Some methodological remarks

• How do you analyse an article/book chapter?• You need an analytical grid:

• c) Comments• Make links to other articles/arguments/explanationsdeveloped in another session of the seminar or lecture• Make links to news/press reviews

IV. Compulsory reading: Georgakakis,2020• a)Context• Who is theauthor?• When was thepaper written?• Where was thepaper published?

10April2020=quarantine

IV. Compulsory reading: Georgakakis,2020• b)Content(allthearticleonly thearticle)

• Which institutions?• Eurogroup• Agencies (European Medicines Agency)• Heads ofStateandGovà European Council• European CentralBank• European Parliament• CharlesMichel(European CouncilandnotCouncil)• European Commission

• Which challenges?• Acrisis – Covid-19

IV. Compulsory reading: Georgakakis,2020• b)Content(allthearticleonly thearticle)

• Question(themainone)• WhataretheeffectsoftheCovid crisisontheEU?

• Argument(ifyou haveoneidea tokeep inmind)• Positiveeffect oftheCovid crisis ontheEU

• Results (mainconclusions)• Notonly focusontheEurogroup butobservethedecisions oftheother EUinstitutions:‘écheveauderelationscomplexes’;‘mille-feuilleinstitutionnel’

• EUbudget:1%ofEU27GDP

• Other infothat may be useful (fortheseminar)• Three meetingsin12days (10-23March)oftheEuropean Councilà crisis