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UC Center Program Courses - Fall 2008
PCC 115. France and european integration
Prof.
Mariam Habibi
Office hours: By appointment
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Lecture
Tue 1-2:30pm
Thu 1-2:30pm
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Over the past 200 years, the destiny of Europe has witnessed spectacular ups and downs. Once an imperial power controlling some 1/3 of the planet, the Europe of 1945 shrivelled in stature and in strength. At pains with its own reconstruction, it also had to renounce control of its colonial empire. The Cold War, following the Second World War, divided Europe into two hostile camps thus adding to its insecurity and humiliation.
Europe's upheavals in the twentieth century however gave birth to a new vision; a vision that finally realised and became sensitive to the dangers of nationalism and over protective economies, strove to surpass national boundaries and thus sought to regain some of its lost prestige and strength. The shattering experience of two world wars that tore Europe apart, gave birth to 'an ever closer union between the peoples of Europe', in other words, the European Union. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the bipolar world, this relatively young institution has come to play a continuously greater role in world affairs. Consequently it has undergone numerous important changes in a short period of time. Today the European Union is living through probably the most momentous period of its existence: it has on the one hand enlarged and reunited with its other half, thus bringing together 455 million people. On the other hand, through the writing of a constitution it sought to carve out a more definable identity for itself. The failure of the Constitutional Treaty in 2004 showed how fragile and non linear this passage has so far been.
France 's role in the initial creation and the subsequent evolution of this union has been far from minimal. The very idea of unity was announced in a speech by Jean Monnet, a member of the French Committee of National Liberation, back in 1943. The Plan that led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner of the European Economic Community, which eventually became the European Union was named after France 's foreign minister, Robert Schuman. The committee responsible for the writing of a constitution for the European Union was presided by another Frenchman, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. France was also the first country to reject the European constitution, thus paving the way for a possible turning point. Though significant, France 's contributions have however not always been constructive. On many occasions France has been accused of putting her national interests before those of Europe . Their general stance can be summed in President Mitterrand's ambiguous phrase: 'France is our homeland, but Europe is our future'.
The aim of this class is to provide a general introduction to the history, the structure and the current developments of the European Union, with a specific focus on France . We shall start first with a historical examination of the reasons that led to the creation of the union, we will then turn to its evolution over the years and finally look at the recent events and discuss what lies ahead in the future for the European Union. 5.0 UC Quarter Credits
COURSE MATERIALS
- Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? Oxford University Press, 2nd edition 2008
- Additional articles, maps, speeches that you can access electronically.
- Online resources including a Course Resource Page, additional Online Scholarly Articles, and a Dossier of documents and news coverage, to be consulted by all students.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grading
Presentation 10%
Midterm 30%
Final 40%
Research paper 20%
Below you will find a brief description of what is expected for each requirement:
- A class presentation: 'European Union this Week' (10 minutes): 10 %.
1. Each student will provide a brief presentation on ONE event in the European Union during their assigned week. You will find very useful web links at the end of chapter one of your text book. There is also a section on European politics in the Online Resource Centre of your text book (see the end of chapter one). Other material for this assignment should be found in dailies such as The International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and weeklies such as Time Magazine, Newsweek and the Economist.
2. Students are required to read the Discussion Questions at the end of every chapter of the book, go through the multiple choice questions in the online resource centre and participate in discussion section.
- A mid-term exam. 30 %
- A case study on a topic of the student's choice. 20%
Instructions for this paper will be found at the end of this syllabus. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. The paper should NOT exceed 5-6 pages.
- A final exam: 40%.This will take place in the last lesson of the course.
- THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MANDATORY OUTINGS IN THIS CLASS. THESE ARE NOT DURING CLASS TIME. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE DOWN THE SPECIFIC DATES.
Class Policy:
Absence Policy: Students are expected to attend all sessions. Students have the right to two non-excused absences. Excused absences fall into two categories: sickness or unforeseen emergency and school-sponsored activities. When a student misses a class, responsibility for making up missed work rests solely on his or her shoulders.
Academic dishonesty: Regardless of the quality of work, plagiarism is punishable with a ‘failing grade’ in the class and possible expulsion from the Program. Plagiarism may be broadly defined as copying of materials from sources, without the acknowledgment of having done so, claiming other’s ideas as one’s own without proper reference to them, and buying materials such as essays/exams.
Late assignments: Deadlines for assignments are to be respected. Late assignments will be downgraded. There are NO additional or make up assignments.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1. September 9th & 11th
a. The History of Europe and the birth of the 'Idea of Europe'
Assignment:
• Look at the illustrations of Europa
• Check the EU map.
Study Question:
1. Define what the term 'Europe' means to you. What are the biases inherent in your definition?
b. The History of Europe: Projects for Europe
Assignment:
• The Briand Memorandum: a Union not a unity
• The Ventotene Manifesto: For a free and united Europe
• D.C. Villanueva, Richard von Coudenhove Kalergi's Pan Europa as the Elusive 'Object of Longing'.
Study Question:
1. How important have historical factors been in shaping the idea of European integration?
Week 2 & 3. September 15th - 25th
Focus on France:
France during the Second World War
France since the Second World War
Reading:
• Read the speech by Jean Monnet
• Read Tint, Chapter 7: ‘Defeat and Occupation 1939-1944
• Read Henri Rousso, passages from The Vichy Syndrome
• Look at the map of Vichy France
Study Questions:
1. Why does Monnet consider France alone capable of leading Europe after the war?
2. What is meant by France’s strange defeat?
3. Was nationalism discredited after WW2?
Class excursion (class time): mémorial de la Libération de Paris & musée Jean Moulin
Metro Montparnasse
Week 4. September 30th – October 2nd
The European Union: an overview
The theoretical approach
Reading:
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter one
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
Week 5. October 7th & 9th
The European Union: an overview
The historical approach
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? Chapter two.
• Robert Schuman ' Declaration of 9 May 1950'
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
Week 6. October 14th & October 16th
The Institutions of the EU:
What is the role of each institution and how do they work
Reading:
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter 3
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
Week 7. October 21st & 23rd
Member states: Enlargement, merging Old and New
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter 4
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
Midterm
Winter Break
Week 8. November 4th & 6th
Interest Groups and lobbies: Governance and democracy
Reading:
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter 5
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
Week 9. November 13th
The purposes of the EU as a polity:
Key policies: an emphasis on the Common Agricultural Policy
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter 6
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
Week 10. November 18th & 20th
The purposes of the EU as a polity:
Case study: Justice and Home Affairs
Internal security
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter 7
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
Week 11. November 25th & 27th
The EU as a global actor
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter 10
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre.
CLASS EXCURSION
The Assembly of the Western European Union
www.assemblee-ueo.eu
43, Avenue du Président Wilson.
Métro: Trocadéro (ligne 6)or Iena (ligne 9)
Week 12. December 2nd , 4th & 5th
The purposes of the EU as a polity:
Case study: The monetary Policy
• Stubb, Bomberg and Peterson, The European Union: How does it work? chapter 6
Remember to look over both the questions and the multiple choice questions on the online resource centre. Look up articles on the Euro, the European Central Bank.
December 5th:
A Conference around a specific them on the EU
Week 13. December 9th & December 11th
Conclusion: the future of the EU
Final exam
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