SGEU Conference, Sciences Po Paris

This year's conference theme: Contradictions – Whither the Political, Economic and Social Integration of Europe?

For some years, pundits have said that the European Union has been under stress and showing resilience, undergoing 'crises' requiring adaptation. Social scientists are trying to understand how current political tensions and policy contradictions affect the European project now that the 'permissive consensus' has come to an end, and the EU post-Lisbon 'constitutional compromise' looks fragile.

Scholars have been reflecting on the state of European integration with a diachronic perspective based on empirical work or theoretical endeavours. They shed light on the EU as a set of institutions and policies with elites and interest groups embedded in a wider international context. Analysis of the EU as a source of political cleavage are key to understanding populism, party realignment, territorial tensions in many member states, against the backdrop of inequalities within and across member states.

This conference will address the complex relationship between socioeconomic dynamics and EU developments, to understand the bases of political integration and its potential effects. Are the terms 'European society' or 'European economy' constructs reflecting an empirical reality and can they be linked to EU policies? In this era of 'lost illusions', our Paris meeting will also engage with debates in political, legal and social theory around key concepts including democracy, the rule of law, and legitimacy.

The conference provides space for researchers from various backgrounds – political science, history, sociology, law, anthropology, philosophy, geography, economics – to present and discuss cutting-edge research focused on the pressing questions of European integration.

The Standing Group on the European Union (SGEU) promotes co-ordination and collaboration among political scientists interested in the blooming area of research on the EU. The Standing group, one of the most numerous in the ECPR, enjoys wide membership and recognition.

Primarily a group of political scientists, the SGEU also fosters multidisciplinary collaboration across social science disciplines, including anthropology, economics, law, sociology, and social psychology, with a substantive focus on the EU.

Registration fees

The fees for the 2018 SGEU Conference remain unchanged, and are as follows:

Students €55*

Other participants €110

*Students must send a valid copy of their student ID to the Events Team by midnight UK time on 15 March 2018.

For further information, contact the Events Team / +44 (0)1206 630049

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