class 1 - intro

Question 1

what is the EU?

Answer 1

is it a state?
is it an IO?

in its current state it is neither: it is more than an IO + less than a state

• less than a state:
  *has a territory, citizenship
  *doesn’t have: monopoly on the use of force
• more than an IO:
  *powerful IO (competence transfer from states to EU, abt. 80% of national law is decided in Brussels)

it is somewhere in between the state and an IO

is the EU an unidentified political object? - Jacques Delors
(it will remain an UPPO unless we weld it into something we can collectively benefit from)

Question 2

(why study the EU)

Answer 2

many people have strong opinions about the EU, but few people have detailed knowledge about the EU

• make sure your opinion is based on facts

Question 3

(three levels of politics)

Answer 3

1. domestic politics in the member states
2. EU politics: mainly in Brussels
3. International politics: e.g. EU in UN, EU-Japan strategic partnership
4. (regional)

boundaries are getting more and more blurred