Europe Today: Winter is Coming

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The first part of the course will be devoted to analyzing the accomplishments and distinctiveness of the European Union as an institution, focusing on achievements such as the single market, the development of a "social Europe", and the commitment to the promotion of democracy, human rights and gender equality. The second part will focus on new and ongoing challenges facing Europe, including the deep repercussions of the departure of the United Kingdom from the Union, the impact of the refugee/migration crisis, the growth of Eurosceptism and authoritarianism, the rise of radical Islam and the perceived "clash of civilizations". The ongoing COVID-19 crisis, which has had a profoundly detrimental impact on the economic, political, and social systems of all EU countries and has tested European solidarity, will also be examined. The third part will address the EU's changing place in the world by examining new and evolving geopolitical linkages, traditional alliances and rivalries, and evolving bilateral relationships with the United States, Russia, China et al. Special attention will be given to the growing challenges in the immediate neighborhood, i.e. the Middle East, the Mediterranean basin, Turkey, and the Western Balkans. The analysis will be framed within the context of the debate on the future of the EU and its role in global and regional affairs.