The course is composed of two parts. In the first one (first and second module) the course will examine the political, social and economic evolution of Spain starting with the eurozone crisis. Spain will be examined in a comparative perspective with other South European countries (Italy, Greece and Portugal). The second part of the course will be focused on the European representation circuit and the the campaign for the European parliamentary elections of May 2019.
Anna Bosco, Le quattro crisi della Spagna, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018
and additional readings assigned during the course
Non-attending students:
Anna Bosco, Le quattro crisi della Spagna, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018
In addition, students must choose one of the following books:
L. Bini Smaghi, La tentazione di andarsene. Fuori dall’Europa c’è un futuro per l’Italia?, il
Mulino, 2017
Dimitri Deliolanes, La sfida di Atene. Alexis Tsipras contro l’Europa dell’austerità, Fandango
Libri, 2015
Learning Objectives
Knowledge: to provide students with the analytical skills necessary to understand the political
dynamics that have taken place in Southern Europe since the start of the eurozone crisis. To develop
the students’ ability to evaluate the European events critically and to understand the related
positions of the political parties.
Skills: to helps students to develop advanced skills related to the European parliamentary elections
and the related political dynamics; to develop the students’ ability to find reliable sources of
information on the countries and governments studied in the course; to help them to express the
concepts learned during the course with accuracy and precision and to orient themselves in the
context of European studies. Last, to develop the students’ ability to improve autonomously their
knowledge of Southern Europe and the eurozone by choosing suitable sources of information.
Prerequisites
Daily reading of national newspapers; ability to read English and/or other foreign languages
Teaching Methods
Teaching includes lessons and seminars with invited scholars; during classes, attending students will be required to give presentations on selected topics.
Further information
Students will be asked to take part in research projects and presentations and to read national and international press.
Type of Assessment
Attending students
The course assessment is composed of two parts: 1) a written exam with open-ended questions
concerning the contents of the textbooks and the course lectures; and 2) the evaluation of students’
participation in class and students’ public presentations on specific topics.
Non-attending students
The final assessment is based on an oral exam concerning the contens of the textbooks.
Course program
The course will be held by Prof. Anna Bosco
The course examines the political, social and economic evolution of Spain from the start of the
eurocrisis to the 2019 European parliamentary elections. In the period under examination (2008-
2019), Spain has undergone a sort of political revolution, characterised by the electoral punishment
of the government parties; the emergence of new political forces (Podemos, with a strong ‘anticaste’
message; Ciudadanos, a centrist party with a pro-European agenda; and Vox, a far right
political organization); and the development of new forms of social protest. In addition, Spain has
shown a remarkable growth of political distrust and the politicisation of the centre-periphery
dimension, as shown by the Catalan events of Autumn 2017. The course will assess the impact of
the eurozone economic crisis on South European countries by comparing the Spanish case to those
of Italy, Greece and Portugal.
The second part of the course will focus on the European circuit of representation, to understand
how Spain and the other South European countries – transformed by the eurozone crisis – are
changing their representatives to the Eu parliament. Students will follow the electoral campaign for
the May 2019 elections and study their outcome in the South European countries.