Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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LEUSL2702 - The economic basis of European Integration


USL-B


Credits : 8

Lecturers :
Mode of delivery :
Face-to-face , second term, 45 hours of theory.

Language of instruction :
French

Learning outcomes :
At the end of this course, students will know how to
- Characterise the main European economic systems.
- To identify the different logics of European economic and monetary integration.
- Manipulate the theoretical and conceptual tools of political economy to analyse economic developments in Europe.
- To structure a scientific discourse on the European economy.
- Critical judgement on the selection of media sources and the public presentation of economic issues.



Prerequisites :
None

Co-requisites :
None

Course contents :
This course in political economy aims to analyse the co-construction of the political and economic spheres in the European Union from the 1950s to the present day. We will discuss the foundations of European economic integration, the history of economic ideas, the construction of the single market, the adoption of the euro, the first ten years of governance of the Economic and Monetary Union, the crisis of the euro zone and the reforms linked to it. Adopting this historical perspective, the course analyses the development of the EU's sectoral economic policies, including social policies, competition and industrial policies and international trade policies. Topics also address the ongoing debates on the finance/democracy nexus, the digital economy and taxation, trade policy and free trade treaties, and the economic paradigm shift in times of climate catastrophe.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
The first 10 sessions of the course are divided into three parts: a current affairs item, a "lecture" part and a discussion part of the texts related to the theme of the session. The last 5 sessions of the course do not include a discussion of the compulsory reading or any preliminary questions about them to be uploaded on Moodle. Student participation is encouraged throughout the sessions. Student attendance at all sessions of the course is highly recommended. For each session, a list of required readings is provided. These readings are an integral part of the course and will be required for the final exam. Students who wish to pursue certain topics in greater depth may request additional reading from the teachers.

Assessment methods and criteria :
Student assessment will be based on two elements : an individual written examination with questions about the course, which will account for 70 % of the final mark, and the topical news oral presentation which will account for 30%of the final mark. In the case of an online examination, the topical news presentation points will be done on Teams and the final examination will be taken remotely on Moodle.

Recommended or required reading :
None

Other information :
None