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On Tuesday 14 October 2014 the European Court of Justice (CJEU) held a first hearing of the trial on the legitimacy of ECB’s Outright Monetary Transactions Programme (OMT). During this preliminary ruling procedure, initiated by the German Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG), the CJEU began investigating a possible transgression of competences by the European Central BankContinue reading “The European Court of Justice as the Driving force Behind Integration?”

Both sides have confused the principle of independence and the policies a future Scottish Government might follow. So writes Derek Hutcheson, Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Malmö University. The referendum in Scotland will have profound consequences  for the United Kingdom (UK), which comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The question Scots were asked is ‘shouldContinue reading “The Referendum has irrevocably changed the future of the UK, regardless of the outcome”

The Euro’s crisis never seems to end. Italy has re-entered recession. The French government is in turmoil over austerity. Youth unemployment is at a historic high in Spain. Increased taxes are crippling middle-income earners in Ireland. Extreme poverty is growing in Greece. Wage stagnation continues in Germany. Yet the European policy response remains the same. ReduceContinue reading “The absence of national adjustment tools is the reason why Eurozone countries continue to struggle”

Applications are invited for up to two permanent appointments as Lecturer (above the bar) in the UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe). The person(s) appointed will be expected to contribute significantly to research and teaching within the School. Note: Appointment will be made for one or two posts, first in the area(s) ofContinue reading “Two new permanent positions in UCD SPIRe”

This is a guest post from Professor Frank Schimmelfennig. Professor Schimmelfennig  is Professor of European Politics and member of the Center for Comparative and International Studies at the ETH Zurich, Switzerland. His main research interests are in the theory of international institutions and European integration and, more specifically, in EU enlargement, differentiated integration, democracy promotion,Continue reading “The Spitzenkandidaten Plot: the European Parliament as a Strategic Competence-Maximizer”

This is a guest post from Prof Kevin  O’Rourke.  Kevin is the Chichele Professor of Economic History at All Hallows College, Oxford. The Irish Times this morning describes the increased vote for independents as an expression of anti-politics sentiment. Anti-establishment-politician sentiment, certainly, but anti-politics? That depends on how you define politics. My definition of “politics” is all about choiceContinue reading “Just Gimme Some Political Choice !”

This is a guest post from Alex Afonso. Alex is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Department of Political Economy at King’s College London. He works on welfare state reform, immigration politics, labour markets, populist radical right parties and the connections between them. You can find out more about him at his website and  Twitter. In the European elections, the far rightContinue reading “The far right vote in the European elections: It’s not the economy, stupid”

This blog post is the seventh in a series of posts that come from students of our Politics of the European Union undergraduate course. As part of the course, students were asked to write about an issue pertaining to European integration. The best blog posts have been selected to provide an opportunity to exceptional young scholarsContinue reading “Crisis in Ukraine: A Test for Effective EU Policy”

This blog post is the sixth in a series of posts that come from students of our Politics of the European Union undergraduate course. As part of the course, students were asked to write about an issue pertaining to European integration. The best blog posts have been selected to provide an opportunity to exceptional young scholars at UCD toContinue reading “Integration in European educational policy and its’ implications”

This blog post is the fifth in a series of posts that come from students of our Politics of the European Union undergraduate course. As part of the course, students were asked to write about an issue pertaining to European integration. The best blog posts have been selected to provide an opportunity to exceptional young scholarsContinue reading “EU Banking Union: The Next Step for EU Integration”