Level of studies: Undergraduate, 8th Semester, B.A. in Political Science and International Relations
Type of course: Compulsory in direction ‘International Relations’ & Elective in direction ‘Political Science’ as well as for students of the Department of Social and Educational Policy
Place in project: Taught on the 2nd (months 7-12), 4th (months 19-24) & 6th semesters (months 31-36)
ECTS: 5 (student workload includes 39 teaching hours: 13 weeks X 3 hours)
Teaching methods: Lectures & Interactive teaching with student engagement (incl. essay presentations)
Prerequisite: None, Language of instruction: Greek
Description: The Yugoslav crisis erupted at a time at which the EC planned the establishment of a common foreign policy. Subsequently, the outbreak and the course of the Yugoslav wars tested the credibility of the EU’s nascent Common Foreign and Security Policy and highlighted the Union’s deficiency in military and crisis management capabilities. The course will examine the EU involvement in the Western Balkans and the Union’s efforts (usually in partnership with the United States) to promote stability, democracy, and economic development in the region. In addition, it will discuss the increased footprint in the region of other external powers (notably, Russia, China, Turkey and the Gulf countries) and it will reflect on the impact of the unfolding geopolitical competition between the EU and the United States and these non-Western powers on the advancement of peacebuilding and political and economic reforms in the Western Balkans. The course will be divided into three parts. The first part will elaborate on different aspects of the EU engagement with the Western Balkans. The Union has inter alia assumed the following roles in the region: it has acted as mediator/facilitator in conflicts; it has deployed CSDP missions; it has exercised direct political authority; and it has been guiding the entire region’s preparation for EU membership. The second part will analyze the aims, the instruments, and the policies of all other major external geopolitical actors in the Western Balkans (namely, the United States, NATO, Russia, China, Turkey, and the Gulf states) and it will question the compatibility of the policies of external non-Western actors with the EU/US reform agenda. Finally, the third part will focus on specific case studies (e.g. projects/investments/conflicts) on which students are expected to present papers that draw on the application of concepts and knowledge obtained throughout the course.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course students are expected to have fully grasped the aims and the objectives that the EU has promoted in the Western Balkans through the employment of a wide range of means and instruments. Moreover, they should comprehend the complex regional environment in which EU foreign policy is implemented, which is constituted by the interplay of the preferences and the policies of local and other external actors. Finally, students will be equipped with the necessary knowledge to conduct basic empirical research about contemporary Western Balkan problems, while their capability to analyze and assess the effectiveness of EU foreign policy will be improved.
Assessment Method:
- In-class presentations: 10% of grade. A 15’ presentation (with the projection of a powerpoint file) of a specific case of external geopolitical actor engagement in the region, discussing its objectives, the adopted policies and the attained results. The selected case study may be the given geopolitical actor’s distinct approach to a conflict/issue, a geopolitical actor’s bilateral relations with a specific Western Balkan country, or a specific investment/project in the region.
- Written Essays: 20% of grade. It concerns academic essays of around 3,000 words that examine at greater depths the topics that have been earlier presented in class. Essays should fully observe academic rules of writing (e.g., structure, documentation) and should take note of the relevant scholarly literature.
- Final Written Exams: 70% of grade. The course material consists of the in-class lectures and the course textbooks.
Course Layout (by week)*
Week 1: The Geopolitics of the Balkans in historical perspective
Part A: The EU as a foreign policy actor in the Western Balkans
Week 2: The EC/EU and the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia
Week 3: The EU and peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Week 4: The EU and the settlement of the Kosovo question
Week 5: The EU and interethnic conflict management in North Macedonia
Week 6: The EU and democracy and rule of law promotion in the Western Balkans
Week 7: The EU and sustainable development in the Western Balkans
Part B: Geopolitical Competition in the Western Balkans
Week 8: The United States and NATO in the Western Balkans
Week 9: Russia in the Western Balkans
Week 10: China in the Western Balkans
Week 11: Turkey and the Gulf states in the Western Balkans
Part C: Case Studies
Week 12: Case studies – Student essay presentations
Week 13: Case studies – Student essay presentations
* Detailed lists of suggested readings per week/theme are in the course’s handbook.
