210077 SE BAK11: SE European Union and Europeanisation (2018S)

Analysing the political discourse of a EU member-state (MS) is important for the insights it can offer about the values, interests and principles said country shares and ultimately the politics it pursues. Analysing the Austrian political discourse presently is relevant for the above-mentioned reasons but specifically also due to the following context: Firstly, Austria’s 2017 parliamentary election put an end to the widely perceived stagnant great coalition between the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) and the social democrats (SPÖ). Now the country is governed by the ÖVP together with the Freedom’s Party (FPÖ). The ÖVP, despite it latest populist thrust, has traditionally been staunchly pro-EU, the FPÖ on the other hand is the most Eurosceptic parliamentary party in Austria. Secondly, starting from the 1st July 2018 Austria will take over for 6 months the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Bearing these facts in mind together with the contested perceptions on the role and the future of the EU, the new government coalition has raised awareness and questions as to the impulses it can offer to the European integration process. A process that for the greatest part of the last decade together with the EU and its MS have been faced with several crises that seem to spring new ones and at the same time reinforce each other creating thus a ‘particularly toxic blend of complex problems’. The solutions offered span the arc of more supranational action, from one side, and to a retreat to national sovereignty on the other side. I abide to the axiom that the solutions should be European, but due to an acerbic lack of EU authority over MS politics, the MS are the ones required to step up and ensure agreement between national capitals. In his first State of the Union speech, the President of the European Commission, J.C. Juncker stated that 'never has there been so little common ground between national capitals and never have they been so weakened by populism'. Adding to Juncker’s words, this course follows the rationale that never has there been a greater need to look at the broader political discourses in said EU capitals/countries (in our case at the Austrian political discourse about current EU topics) and hopefully draw lessons for the future.
This seminar will focus on topics such as EU foreign & security policy, trans-atlantic relationship, brexit, immigration/asylum, EU relationship vis-á-vis Turkey, Western Balkans and Russia, illiberal democracies, and the future of the EU.

OBJECTIVE OF THE COURSE:
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the Austrian perspective on multiple European issues that demand urgent attention and sustainable solutions and to provide the necessary tools for understanding how to analyse the national rhetoric around these challenges in a seemingly ever-changing context.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• General understanding about issues affecting Austria and the European integration process
• Acquaintance with Austrian debates about key EU topics
• Recognition of the specific causes and effects of various current EU issues on national, political and social systems in Austria
• In –depth knowledge of as well as critically apply the theoretical and methodological approaches related to the study
• Class is designed to develop students’ analytical thinking and presentation techniques.
• Research work and essay writing target the improvement of students’ research and academic writing skills, thus students will be able to:
o Independently produce spoken and written analyses in accordance with good academic practices,
o practice on raising good analytical questions concerning provided topic
o Plan and present own research, and
o Critically analyse and think conceptually about Austrian political discourse on current EU topics by using reasoned arguments.
• To draw lessons for the future