The Political Project of the European Union: Current State and Future Perspectives

8-10 December 2011 Lisbon Faculty of Human and Social Sciences Universidade Nova de Lisboa www.ifl.pt

The conference aims to assess the political project of the European Union both in its present contours and in its future prospects.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

- The political identity of the EU: cultural, political, and institutional aspects;
- The political meaning of constitutionalisation. How EU institutions have promoted constitutionalisation, on what purpose, and with which results.
- The debate on the democratic deficit and the legitimation of EU institutions;
- The monetary union, international financial crises, and national sovereignty: the political implications of an economic project;
- Migration and solidarity: closure and openness of EU borders.
- Why are we members? Reasons to join the EU and widespread expectations towards membership in new member states.
- The EU as an international actor? Assessing the political identity of EU foreign policy.

Contributions are welcome from political scientists, sociologists, philosophers, historians, and professionals.

Abstracts of appr. 500 words (suitable for a presentation of 25 min.) should be sent to the address below by the 8th of October, 2011:

lisbonEUconference@gmail.com

Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by the 15th of October.

A selections of extended contributions will be published in hard cover. See our institute's publications series at http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=series&pk=1552&concordeid=LPS##

For further information, do not hesitate to write to us.