210090 SE BAK15: SE Osteuropastudien (2017S)

As the biggest challenge and having the most significant symbolic weight in the history of European integration, the Eastern Enlargement aimed to unite Europe. What is the impact of the integration and enlargement processes across the region and how are current social and political developments stimulating differences within the levels of Europeanization?
The seminar will focus on the Eastern Enlargement of the EU, particularly the impact of Europeanization for the region in light on the current political, social and economic developments. It will provide an overview of the historical evolution of the European Union and the idea of European integration of CEE, a discussion of the political, economic and social dynamics behind these developments and an introduction to the uses of theory in understanding and explaining the integration processes concerning the Eastern Enlargement.

The first part of the seminar will discuss the conceptual elements and core theories of European integration, the EU political system and the process of Europeanization. The aim is to provide the fundamental theoretical tools to develop a discussion around the dynamics of the EU governance system and the process of enlargement, within both the general context, as well as the particularities of the CEE region.
The second part specifically focuses on the process of enlargement and how the different Eastern enlargement waves impacted the national and regional levels through Europeanization processes. The approach will include both the top-down (the impact the EU has on the national arena) and the bottom-up levels (when the national level impact policy making at the EU level). The aim is to examine the particularities of the region and how recent developments (such as the great recession, immigration and populism surge) reflect in the dynamic between the EU and its CEE members. The regional specifics debates are contextualized within integration levels and the dynamics that set the region apart and further differentiate between east and west.
The third part of the seminar is more applied and focuses on Europeanization, its impact and the effects of Eastern Enlargement. This section will analyze and provide an in-depth discussion of recent relevant developments from the (CEE) region and contextualize them within the larger EU sphere. The aim is to analyze and discuss recent relevant episodes, from the local perspective, but also in the context of the European Union’s impact on the region. Relevant cases and examples will serve to contextualize the concepts and theoretical approaches discussed and will also bring depth to the two levels, the national and the European Union.

The seminar readings cover key texts on European Integration, Europeanization, Central and Eastern European regional specifics. Participants will acquire an advanced understanding of EU integration, the EU as a political system, with a particular focus on the Central and Eastern European region, as well as the developments within the CEE region and its relationship with the west and the EU. Over the seminar, the following questions will be answered:
What is European Integration? How is it defined in respective literature and how can we understand its processes within the context of the EU political system? What is the rationale of enlargement and its implications within Central and Eastern Europe?
What are the effects of the Eastern Enlargement: on the EU, its western members and the CEE region? What is the influence of the EU on the CEE region?
How do the differences and particularities of the CEE region play into the EU enlargement process? How do such differences affect the EU governance system in light of recent challenges and developments?