European integration is an ongoing process. Analytic tools were developed early on to understand this specific political system and its construction. These tools have been progressively complexified as the Community has increased in number and competences, while respecting national sovereignty.
It is more important than ever to master these tools, given the problems the European Union is faced with today – the rise of populism, public criticism of the democratic deficit, Brexit, the response to the arrival migrants and refugees, difficulties responding to the economic and financial crisis, and of course the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sabine Saurugger provides an overview of the concepts and theories developed in French and international research in political sociology, public policy, political theory, and international relations, recontextualizing the discussions and debates that shaped them.