The aim of this course is to give an overview and a clear understanding of the political, institutional, and historical dimensions of the EU and of European integration. The lectures will provide a general and multifaceted overview on the political-institutional developments of the EU and its history. Decision-making will be discussed looking at the interinstitutional interaction dynamics and at the formal and informal processes behind them. In particular, the following aspects will be discussed: the integration process over time, the most recent institutional developments, the EU's theoretical foundation and the main related concepts, the Union's institutional, political, and economic nature, and the tension between "widening" and "deepening". Group discussion is favoured. A part of the course is devoted to the understanding and problematization of some of the most controversial contemporary issues such as the ongoing refugee crisis, prospects for further political integration, and enlargement.