Making sense of European Union politics

The European Union represents one of the most ambitious international political integration projects ever undertaken. While arguably successful in its aims to secure peace and promote economic prosperity, the present day EU is said to often find itself in a state of crisis. This course seeks to foster an awareness of contemporary EU politics. It investigates the geopolitical context in which European integration began, surveys the EU's institutional structure and its political operation, and assesses some of the contemporary challenges it faces, including the legacy of the 2008 financial crisis, increased citizen dissatisfaction, Brexit and conflict in Ukraine.