Class Political Socio-Economics of the European Union

This Course Unit (CU) analyzes how European integration has driven economic, political, and social development, and how it was simultaneously shaped by institutional dynamics. It highlights the deep interplay between economy, politics, and society, demonstrating that the European Union (EU) transcends a mere commercial union to assert itself as a "common consciousness" and a model of socioeconomic governance. Tracing the historical stages - from the ECSC to the Economic and Monetary Union - it analyzes the conditioning factors, crises, and synergies of integration. Additionally, the program projects this reflection onto contemporary challenges regarding competitiveness, cohesion, sustainability, and the labor market, incorporating the most recent strategic debates on European autonomy (based on the Letta and Draghi Reports). Ultimately, it aims to empower students with a critical understanding of the EU and foster active European citizenship.  

Not applicable

Module 0: Conceptual Framework: Socioeconomic perspective and the Political Economy of European Integration. Module 1: The Origins of Integration - The ECSC: Post-war origins and the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Module 2: Deepening Integration - The EEC: From the EEC to the Treaties of Rome and the European institutional architecture. Module 3: Common Market and Single Market: The four fundamental freedoms and their socioeconomic impacts. Module 4: Economic and Monetary Union (EMU): The single currency (Euro), macroeconomic governance, and crisis management. Module 5: Socioeconomic Governance and Cohesion: Cohesion policies, labor market, social protection, and mobility. Module 6: Competitiveness, Sustainability, and Autonomy: Ecological transition, sustainability, and the Letta and Draghi Reports.

Debates, simulations and written exercises in class will be a driving force of the methodologies supporting the teaching-learning process. Lectures and/or study visits, with reports, will bring students closer to the tasks they will perform in their future professions.

Bulmer, Simon; Parker, Owen; Bache, Ian; George, Stephen; Burns, Charlotte (2020). Politics in the European Union. 5ª Edição, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cini, Michelle; Borragán, N. Pérez-Solórzano (2019). European Union Politics. 6ª Edição, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Draghi, Mario (2024). The Future of European Competitiveness — A Competitiveness Strategy for Europe. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2025 Engelbrekt, Antonina B.; Bremberg, Niklas; Michalski, Anna; Oxelheim, Lars (2020). The European Union in a Changing World Order. Londres: Palgrave Macmillan. Moniz, Jorge Botelho (org.) (2022). O Futuro da União Europeia: Política, Economia, Estado de Direito e Religião. Col. Contributos. Lisboa: Edições Universitárias Lusófonas. Nugent, Neill (2017). The Government and Politics of the European Union. 8ª Edição, Londres Palgrave Macmillan.