| CODE | EST2012 | ||||||
| TITLE | The EU and its Eastern Neighbours | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| EQF/MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | European Studies | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to the reemergence of several independent states in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. Its chaotic collapse set in motion major political, social and economic transformations across the region. Conflicts and tensions inside and between some former Soviet republics that had previously been contained or suppressed resurfaced openly. Compared to the Baltics and Central Europe, political transitions in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus remained incomplete and fragile. Over the past decade, Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine have moved toward more pluralistic and accountable governance, but their progress was neither linear nor without setbacks. Georgia temporarily saw major progress but has recently faced significant democratic backsliding. Azerbaijan and Belarus became full-fledged dictatorships in the 1990s, with Belarus increasingly subordinated to Moscow, especially after Russian support helped suppress major protests in 2020. After a brief period of relative openness during the 1990s and early 2000s, Russia returned to authoritarianism and increasingly started to display elements of totalitarianism during the 2010s. These tendencies became even more pronounced after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and expanded its hybrid war against EU and NATO members. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit explores the recent history, politics and international relations of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. It examines each country’s evolution since the restoration of their independence and zooms in on the EU’s engagement with them as well as with the region as a whole. It traces how the EU’s Eastern enlargements shaped its thinking about political and economic transitions and led to policy frameworks like the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership. It explores how the EU’s approach to promoting liberal democracy evolved, how the EU reacts to democratic backsliding and how it attempts to counter competing actors promoting alternative political norms in the region. At the same time, it examines how the Russian regime’s thinking about EU and NATO evolved as well as how it was influenced by EU policy towards the shared neighbourhood. Finally, it looks at how Russia’s aggressions have affected the EU’s foreign, security and defence policy, including its institutional set-up and capabilities as well as its stance on future enlargement. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the recent history and contemporary politics of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus; - Describe the legacies of Russian imperialism in shaping Russian and Western narratives about the region; - Analyse the EU enlargement process and EU democracy promotion in the region; - Explain changes to EU foreign policy following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine; - Examine Russia’s hybrid war against EU and NATO members. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyse, debate and write about issues related to Russia, Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus; - Analyse, debate and write about EU enlargement and EU democracy promotion; - Detect and debunk disinformation and propaganda on the international politics of the region. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: View reading list |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Ragnar Weilandt |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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