Admission requirements
Admission to the MA in International Relations. Students from tracks other than European Union Studies are welcome to take this course.
Description
Criticism of the European Union has in some ways existed for at least as long as the EU itself. But since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, Euroscepticism has accelerated massively to become what today is a mainstream phenomenon, present in every country inside the Union as well as many of those outside it. This course seeks to understand and explain this rise and trace the implications for today’s EU and its member states. It starts by asking what Euroscepticism entails before contextualising contemporary Euroscepticism by tracing its existence in the decades up until Maastricht. It then examines the subsequent explosion in EU-critical political parties— paying particular attention to the challenger right- and left-wings of the political spectrum— as well as the reasons for the uptick in Eurosceptic support among voters and the wider European public. Having grasped the general contours of Euroscepticism, the remainder of the course applies this knowledge to various national and comparative case studies to comprehend in detail what Euroscepticism is, how it manifests and why it exists. Lastly, it ponders the future, considering how, given the seeming persistence of Eurosceptic parties and public, the EU can hope to confront, overcome or perhaps best live with Euroscepticism.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, students will:
acquire a detailed understanding of the typology of Euroscepticism and the evolution of scholarly debates on the subject
grasp the historical backdrop against which contemporary Euroscepticism has emerged
gain comprehensive knowledge of how and why Euroscepticism has emerged at both the political and public level
be able to compare and contrast the Eurosceptic political and public landscape across multiple countries
consider, evaluate and develop (potential) policy responses to Euroscepticism as a persistent phenomenon
have developed their skills in respect of research, writing, presentation and debate.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Research essay - 50%
Group podcast - 25%
Policy brief - 15%
Active participation in the course and class discussion - 10%
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
To retake the research essay, students must have attended classes and failed the course.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
A syllabus will be provided one week before the start of the course.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
All other information.