France and Europe: A Long Story

March the 25th, 2017 will see the 60th birthday of the Rome treaty which started the common market, the basis of what the EU is today. After 60 years, we can see that this organization has brought one of the longest periods of peace on the continent. It has also brought a long period of growth, as it has made Europe the wealthiest part of the world.
But today, Europe is going through a lot of troubles (the rise of populist parties, Brexit, a lagging growth) and this has put Europe on the brink of collapse. Europe is at a turning point. Either it goes through constitutional reforms that will reinforce the links between European countries or it is the end of the idea of European unification. France has been a leading nation in the past but after two world wars, the European project was the last chance to remain a leading nation and keep its international status.
The course will focus on the role France played in the European construction. We will also give a large historical view to understand why France has accepted to give away a large part of its sovereignty and why there is a rise of a strong anti-European feeling in France at the moment. We will give a historical, cultural and political view of the current situation.

Required text:
Serge BERNSTEIN et Pierre MILZA Histoire de l'Europe du XIX au début du XXI siècle Hatier 2014 ISBN 978-2-218-97904-0