Introduction to the theories on EU integration - JTM732

• Anglický název: Introduction to the theories on EU integration
• Český název: Úvod do teorií evropské integrace
• Zajišťuje: Katedra evropských studií (23-KZS)
• Fakulta: Fakulta sociálních věd
• Platnost: od 2025
• Semestr: letní
• E-Kredity: 6
• Způsob provedení zkoušky: letní s.:
• Rozsah, examinace: letní s.:1/1, Zk [HT]
• Počet míst: neomezen / neomezen (20)
• Minimální obsazenost: 5
• 4EU+: ne
• Virtuální mobilita / počet míst pro virtuální mobilitu: ne
• Stav předmětu: vyučován
• Jazyk výuky: angličtina
• Způsob výuky: prezenční
• Poznámka: předmět je možno zapsat mimo plán; povolen pro zápis po webu; při zápisu přednost, je-li ve stud. plánu
• Garant: Emilija Tudjarovska Gjorgjievska, Ph.D.
• Vyučující: Emilija Tudjarovska Gjorgjievska, Ph.D.
• Třída: Courses for incoming students

Anotace

čeština

Cílem tohoto kurzu je prohloubit znalosti studentů o teoriích evropské integrace a fungování Evropské unie. Záměrem je porozumět:

a) hlavním (tzv. velkým) teoriím evropské integrace v 21. století;
b) rozmanitosti teoretických přístupů ke studiu integrace EU;
c) teoretickým implikacím pro studium a analýzu současné evropské politiky.

Kurz je otevřen pouze studentům magisterských studijních programů.

Poslední úprava: Bartůšek Jaroslav, Bc. (07.02.2026)

angličtina

The aim of this course is to improve the knowledge of students on EU integration’ theories and the functioning of the European Union. The purpose is understanding:

a) The grand integration’ theories of European integration in the twenty-first century;
b) The variety of theoretical approaches in studying the EU integration and
c) The theoretical implications on studying and analysing the contemporary European politics.

The course is open only for students of master's degree programmes.

Poslední úprava: Hrubá Kateřina, Mgr. (28.01.2026)

Cíl předmětu

The course will introduce students to the grand theories on the EU integration and the functioning of the European Union, from normative perspective. Preparatory readings will include combine readings on EU integration theories, political science, political economy etc. This course is designed to help students to acquire knowledge about the normative dimension of the EU integration in order to understand the key contemporary challenges of the EU (democratic legitimacy, democratic deficit, rise of populism, technocratic governance etc.) It will examine the different approaches, as well as similarities in studying the EU integration:  functionalism, neo-functionalism, inter-governmentalism; the EU as a union of member states, anti-system politics in the EU; technocratic governance and emergency politics. 

After completion of this course, students should be able to:

-          Understand the variety of theoretical approaches in studying the European integration;

-          Understand how to apply the EU integration theories in empirical cases and learn how to analyse the contemporary challenges of the EU (crises of democratic representation, technocratic governance, conflicts of sovereignty, anti-system politics etc.)

-          Learn how to make theoretical observations in studying the EU and how to combine them with empirical data and analysis;

-          Engage in critical thinking on the contemporary EU affairs, i.e. engagement with contemporary scholarly discussion on the EU/global affairs/testing or building theories;

Poslední úprava: Tudjarovska Gjorgjievska Emilija, Ph.D. (13.02.2026)

Literatura

Mandatory Readings:

·         Bellamy, R. Castiglione, D. (2003). Legitimizing the Euro-’Polity’ and its ‘Regime’ The Normative Turn in EU Studies. European Journal of Political Theory;

·         Bickerton, C. (2012). EU Integration: from Nation States to Member States. (217 pp)/selected chapters; Oxford University Press;

·         Bickerton, C. J., D. Hodson, and U. Puetter, eds. (2015). The New Intergovernmentalism: States, Supranational Actors and European Politics in the Post-Maastricht Era. Oxford: Oxford;Hay, Colin. (2007). Why We Hate Politics. Polity (selected chapters)

·         Hooghe, Liesbet & Marks, Gary (2019). Grand theories of European integration in the twenty-first century, Journal of European Public Policy, 26:8, Link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2019.1569711

·         Hopkin, Jonathan (2020). Anti-System Politics: The Crisis of Market Liberalism in Rich Democracies. Oxford University Press

·         Lord, C. ed. (2015). A different kind of democracy? Debates about democracy and the European Union; Open Society Foundations.

·         Schmidt, A. V. (2020). Europe's Crisis of Legitimacy, Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone (384 pp)/selected chapters;

·         Schmidt, A.V. (2010). Democracy and Legitimacy in the European Union Revisited, Input, Output and Throughput. Frei University

·         Scharprf, Fritz, W. (2009). Legitimacy in the multilevel European polity European Political Science Review (2009), 1:2, 173–204

          Tudzarovska, E. The rise of technocratic politics in the EU: the legacies of neoliberalism. Comp Eur Polit 23, 576–592 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41295-025-00413-y

          Tudzarovska, Emilija (2024). “Disorganized collective citizen’s interest, social transformations and technopopulism” in: The Interplay Of Civic Engagement And Institutional Politics, Palgrave Macmillan, London

          Tudzarovska, Emilija and Rone, Julia. (2023). ‘The Technocratic Populist Loop in EU’s Eastern and Southern Periphery: between democratic representation and technocratic solutions for economic governance’. Routledge, London

·         White, Jonathan. (2019) Politics of Last Resort: Governing by Emergency in the European Union. Oxford University Press

 

Additional literature: 

·         Muller, Jan-Werner. (2017). What is Populism? Penguin Books.

·         Rupnik, Jacques. (2007). Is East-Central Europe Backsliding? From Democracy Fatigue to Populist Backlash. Journal of Democracy Volume 18, Number 4 October 2007

·         Jones E., Menon, A., Weatherill, S., (2014). The Oxford Handbook of the European Union (924pp)/selected chapters;

·         Vachudova, M.A. (2005). Europe Undivided Democracy, Leverage, and Integration: After Communism. Oxford University Press

Poslední úprava: Tudjarovska Gjorgjievska Emilija, Ph.D. (13.02.2026)

Metody výuky

Lectures + discussions based on assigned reading + student presentations with discussion

Use of generative AI tools:

The use and citation of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT or MS Copilot) in seminar papers and other coursework must comply with the decrees of the IMS Director No. 7/2023 and 9/2023.

Generative AI tools may be used unless explicitly prohibited by the instructor. However, they may not be used to generate substantial sections of the text or replace the student’s own intellectual contribution. The student remains fully responsible for any content generated with assistance of AI tools.

Presenting AI-generated content, whether verbatim, rephrased, or only slightly modified, as one’s own work constitutes plagiarism.

Every submitted paper must include a transparent statement specifying which generative AI tools were used, in which stage of the work they were employed, and how they were used, or confirming that no generative AI tools were used. If this statement is missing or incomplete, the instructor is not permitted to accept the paper for evaluation.

Unless the instructor explicitly prohibits the use of generative AI tools, the decision to use or not to use them rests fully with the student. The student has the right to request that the instructor does not use AI assistance for evaluating their work.

Poslední úprava: Hrubá Kateřina, Mgr. (07.01.2026)

Požadavky ke zkoušce

Conditions for passing:

Students shall be admitted to the written examination for this course (in English) if they have been sufficiently graded for their performance in lectures and seminars, and if they have elaborated and submitted a final written assignment (in English) on an agreed topic. The course will combine lectures with students’ presentations on selected case studies. Students are expected to know the prescribed reading thoroughly when coming to class. The case studies will trace the theoretical implications on practical examples of the EU’s politics. The normative dimension of the EU integration will be analysed and discussed during the classes.

 

Students have the following obligations:

1) Present in the class (team presentation; 15-20 minutes) and submit the presentation in a limited written form (up to 8 pages handout or a PowerPoint presentation) (30 pts) for the list of presentation topics and teams see below in the syllabus;

Evaluation criteria: factually correct (5 pts); key aspects of the topic captured (5 pts); a clear message supported by arguments (10 pts); formally OK (5 pts); keeping the time frame (5 pts).

2) Submit a final paper (5,000 words) on an assigned topic (60 pts). The topic of the final paper is to be selected from the list of topics (see below in the syllabus). The final exam will take the format of a written essay – critical review. The essays should be based on the lectures/seminars, and your capacity to demonstrate knowledge of the course material. The selection needs to be sent to the lecturer via email by 4 December 2024.

Evaluation criteria: see below in the syllabus and the table

Deadline: 10 June 2026 at 11 pm (upload the paper in pdf format in Moodle; registration key: “xx”). For every hour past the deadline, one point will be deducted from the final paper score.

3) Participate in the discussion in the seminar (10 pts)

4) Attend the seminars

Students can miss one class without prior justification and one additional class with relevant justification (illness, serious personal reasons, attendance of an extraordinary event related to the study programme). A higher number of missed classes can be the reason for failing the course, a lower grade, or additional coursework.

Consulations: Consultations with me must be booked exclusively through official FSV UK consultation calendar. Each student may book only one 30-minute slot. These consultation hours are shared among all students and cannot be reserved repeatedly.

Table 1: Final grading shall be based on the following formula (provided the student earns at least the minimum number of points for each particular item)

 

Final point score	Grade
91 or more	A	Excellent (výtečně)
81–90	B	Very Good (velmi dobře)
71–80	C	Good (dobře)
61–70	D	Satisfactorily (uspokojivě)
51–60	E	Sufficiently (dostatečně)
50 or less	F	Fail (nedostatečně)

N. B.:

Sources shall be credited in line with the latest version of the ISO 690 standard. No form of plagiarism is tolerated at the Charles University. Any instances of plagiarism shall be discussed by the Disciplinary Board and, eventually, the Dean

Poslední úprava: Tudjarovska Gjorgjievska Emilija, Ph.D. (13.02.2026)

Sylabus

-           

Day	Room	Content
16 Feb.	SIS	Session #1 Introduction to the course, lectures and seminars. Why do we study the EU? What can we learn from different theoretical approaches on the EU integration and what do they tell us about the functioning of the EU?   •      Hooghe, Liesbet & Marks, Gary (2019). Grand theories of European integration in the twenty-first century, Journal of European Public Policy, 26:8, Link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2019.1569711 •      Lord, C. ed. (2015). A different kind of democracy? Debates about democracy and the European Union; Open Society Foundations.
23 Feb.	SIS	Session #2 Why do we need theoretical framework(s) for studying the EU integration? How do we make theoretical observations for studying the EU? Identifying the similarities and differences between the grant theories on the EU integration: functionalism, post-functionalism, inter-governmentalism. Joint text analysis and group discussion. •      Bickerton, C. J., D. Hodson, and U. Puetter, eds. (2015). The New Intergovernmentalism: States, Supranational Actors and European Politics in the Post-Maastricht Era. Oxford: Oxford; •      Liesbet & Marks, Gary (2019). Grand theories of European integration in the twenty-first century, Journal of European Public Policy, 26:8, Link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2019.1569711
2 March	SIS	Session #3 EU Integration theory: from Nation-State to Member State   What is the EU? What is EU economic governance? What is European Foreign and Security Policy? •      Bickerton, C. (2012). EU Integration: from Nation States to Member States. Oxford University Press; Chapter 1-3 •      Group discussion
9 March	SIS	Session #4 EU Integration theory: from Nation-State to Member State  What is the EU? What can the EU integration theory/-ies tell us about the functioning of the EU and EU decision-making? Examples of the EU enlargement; Rule of Law (Casis de Dijon) •      Bickerton, C. (2012). EU Integration: from Nation States to Member States. Oxford University Press; Chapter 4-6 •      Joint discussion and group presentations
16 March	SIS	Session #5 What is EU democratic legitimacy? The normative dimension of studying the EU ·         Schmidt, A. V. (2020). Europe's Crisis of Legitimacy, Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone (384 pp)/selected chapters; ·         Bellamy, R. Castiglione, D. (2003). Legitimizing the Euro-’Polity’ and its ‘Regime’ The Normative Turn in EU Studies. European Journal of Political Theory; ·         Joint discussion and group presentations
23 March	SIS	Session #6 EU democratic legitimacy: normative standards for studying the EU: input, output and throughput legitimacy Schmidt, A. V. (2020). Europe's Crisis of Legitimacy, Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone (384 pp)/selected chapters;          Scharprf, Fritz, W. (2009). Legitimacy in the multilevel European polity European Political Science Review (2009), 1:2, 173–204
30 March	SIS	Session #7 Presentations in the class: •      Select a topic on the EU and explain how the normative standards EU democratic legitimacy should (have been) met. You can select between input, output and throughput legitimacy. •      Examples: The EU responds to crises (i.e. financial crisis; debt crisis, migration crisis, COVID-19).
6 April	SIS	Session #8 The Technopopulist Trap:         Tudzarovska, Emilija. (2024). The Technopopulist Trap. Democracy and Society. www.ips-journal.eu          Tudzarovska, Emilija and Rone, Julia. (2023). ‘The Technocratic Populist Loop in EU’s Eastern and Southern Periphery: between democratic representation and technocratic solutions for economic governance’. Routledge, London
13 April	SIS	Session #9 What are the contemporary challenges of the EU? What we can learn from the theory on emergency politics?   •      White, Jonathan. (2019) Politics of Last Resort: Governing by Emergency in the European Union. Oxford University Press •      Optional: White, Jonathan. (2024) On the Long run. Cambridge University Press (introduction and conclusion)
20 April	SIS	Session #10 Presentations in the class: •      Select a topic on the EU emergency politics and explain how we can apply theoretical approaches of EU integration in analysing empirical cases. You can select between input, output and throughput legitimacy. •      Explain why EU uses emergency politics in times of crisis
27 April	SIS	Session #11 What is Anti-System Politics and what does this theory tell us about the contemporary challenges of the EU? •      Hopkin, Jonathan (2020). Anti-System Politics: The Crisis of Market Liberalism in Rich Democracies. Oxford University Press (chapters: 1-3) •      Tudzarovska, E. The rise of technocratic politics in the EU: the legacies of neoliberalism. Comp Eur Polit 23, 576–592 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41295-025-00413-y
4 May	SIS	Session #12 Wrap-up. Discussion of submitted drafts/preparation for the final written exam.

Poslední úprava: Tudjarovska Gjorgjievska Emilija, Ph.D. (13.02.2026)