Prof Riccardo Crescenzi & Prof Neil Lee
The economic and political integration of Europe has been one of the most important, impactful, controversial, and misunderstood processes of the past 100 years.
European leaders such as Churchill, Adenauer, de Gaulle, and Schuman have seen integration as a means to achieve both peaceful unity and economic success. Their work developed into the European Union (EU) and the increased social, economic and political interdependence of member states. Yet others, including many populist politicians, claim that integration has increased bureaucracy, led to rent-seeking behaviour, and diverted attention from high-growth markets elsewhere.
This course introduces the main economic aspects of the current development of the EU and its policies. Covering the process of European Integration and its economic impacts on individuals, firms and regions you will analyse the economic opportunities and challenges generated by EU integration. Engaging in discussion with leading faculty, you will assess current EU policies and their ability to support the process of economic integration as well as their ability to mitigate potential economic side-effects.
The course will also consider efforts to reform the European Union economy after the Covid-19 pandemic, and how the Recovery Plan and Next Generation EU are reshaping the entire EU policy landscape towards a common purpose: a digital, green and inclusive recovery from Covid-19. This will offer the opportunity to reflect on lessons from 50 years of EU policies in order to inform and shape new evidence-based interventions in other parts of the world and to guide future EU enlargements to new potential Member States (such as Ukraine and other Candidate Countries).
While the course will retain a focus on economic analysis, it will also allow you to broaden your understanding of the EU by examining its institutional, political and historical legacy. By the end of the course you will have developed the critical thinking skills to understand and interpret the significance of important events such as the economics of Brexit, the rise of populism, the recovery from Covid-19 and their impact on the current economic and social landscape and how they will affect future policy decisions.
