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- Nordic & Baltic States in the European Union
- Catalog number CEUS-U 320
- Toivo Raun
This course focuses on the process and impact of EU enlargement in the northern European and Baltic Sea region. It assesses the experience of just under one-quarter (six of the twenty-seven) of the current EU members, including three Nordic and three Baltic countries: Denmark (member since 1973), Sweden (1995), Finland (1995), Estonia (2004), Latvia (2004), and Lithuania (2004). The topics covered in the class will include the following: historical background and campaigns for EU membership; public opinion on EU membership and differing Nordic and Baltic perspectives; the role of small states in the EU; national vs. regional and European identities; constitutional issues, especially structural and administrative questions raised by the EU expansion process; the impact of EU membership on economic development, society, domestic and foreign politics, and cultural life; economic integration and the single currency issue; transnational migration and labor mobility; minority issues; and security policy. Written work will consist of the following: a midterm and a final exam as well as a 6-8-pp. research paper on a topic (chosen by the student, but approved by the instructor) related to the theme of the class.
