Abstract In this thesis the EP’s role and influence in the development of the co-decision procedure is analysed. Over the last decades the European Parliament has increased its power in the legislative process. It has been one of the central actors in the development of the co-decision procedure, established in the Maastricht Treaty and extended in the Amsterdam Treaty. The question of how the EP

The Treaty of Lisbon entered into force December 1 2009, but the road to get there was long and bumpy. For years this Reform Treaty of the EU has been subject of debate and conflict. This paper aims at giving a theoretical understanding of this last amending treaty of the EU, using and comparing two widely recognised approaches in the study of European integration: neo-functionalism and liberal in

This thesis is about whether Swedish immigrants are to be considered politically empowered or not. The term politically empowered refers to a state where individuals have the capabilities and possibilities to effectively change their situation via the established democratic system. My conclusion is that political empowerment is not yet a reality within ethnic minority groups. In decision making ar

In light of the current process of regional integration prospering in the European Union, the Öresund region has become a dynamic geographical entity that in the most recent decades has experienced substantial increased growth in terms of economy, innovation, social activity and culture. Thus, the interest of this study lies in investigating a perspective of this integration process, namely the de

Vi blev nyfikna på hur Internet formar nya former för påverkan av demokratiskt politiskt deltagande. Med denna nyfikenhet tar uppsatsen avstamp utifrån den debatt som pågick bland bloggare inför voteringen av FRA-lagstiftningen 2008. Med utgångspunkt från Jurgen Habermas koncept om den publika sfären samt Lincoln Dahlbergs riktlinjer för deliberativa internet-forum genomförs en kvalitativ textanal

Är vårdgarantin en effektiv årgärd mot långa vårdköer? Den svenska regeringen införde år 2008 en maximal väntetidsgaranti vid namnet vårdgaranti, som inte var bindande. Den 1 juli 2010 blev vårdgarantin bindande lagstiftning, men kan man förvänta sig att väntetiderna till speciliserad vård kommer att minska? Med denna kvalitativa fallstudie vill jag ge ett tentativt svar på frågan. I en genomgång

This Masters’ thesis contributes to the empirical and theoretical academic literature on the debate on European integration in new EU member states. It analyzes Czech and Slovak debate on the Lisbon Treaty in the parliament and media through a Grounded Theory method of data analysis. Actors' differentiation between two issues in the debate lead to development of two dimensions on which actors

This is a field study conducted in Mozambique of the empowerment of small-scale farmers within the initial process of commercialization. The WFP initiative named Purchase for Progress intend to purchasing crops locally directly from farmer organizations. The study’s aim is capturing the farmers’ perceived empowerment, defined as access to purposive choices, through a theoretical framework where op

This thesis investigates the prospects of a common counter-terrorism strategy in the European Union. It analyzes how Member States’ security cultures influence the establishment of a common European counter-terrorism strategy. The study examines the differences between Member States’ security cultures under the framework of social constructivism that emphasizes the impact of the socially construct

This paper adresses key issues of constructions and ideas of our social reality in relation to the international political organisation. Through constructivist analyses this paper highlights and contrast two identity contructions which are of great relevance for the European integration of today. By definig the main charachters of the persistant and condemning discourse of Balkanism and the young

Conflict over declining water resources has been a highly debated issue the last decade. Theorists suggests that environmental degradation may in some cases cause violent conflict or war. A different school of thought proposes the opposite – that water is more likely to create cooperation, rather than conflict. This thesis will focus on Lake Victoria and why there is cooperation over the lake betw

Derived from theories of hard- and soft power, sanctions and constructive engagement, the thesis analyses the effect and interplay of targeted sanctions and political dialogue, by highlighting the political strategies that the EU conducts towards Zimbabwe. Based on semi-structured interviews with six influential officials in the EU, the thesis explains and describes the tensions of the foreign pol

In March 2008 a conflict started in Argentina between the government and the farm sector due to the introduction of a new tax scheme on the exportation of grains. Turning into one of the biggest conflicts the country had seen in recent years, the President decided to send a tax proposition to the Congress in order to give further approval to the measure. Despite having the President the majority o

In September 2005 Jyllandsposten published twelve cartoons figurative prophet Muhammad. The reaction from the Muslims were calm until the winter when it became intense. Muslims all over the world showed their frustration about – what they thought – was an offence of their Prophet. Many Muslims caught it as a provocation from the western world as a hole confronting Islam and the Muslims. MEMRI is a

This thesis explores the strategic interaction between mainstream parties and the Sweden Democrats (SD), a Swedish radical right-wing populist party (RRP-party). The purpose is twofold: (1) to identify strategic difficulties in responding to SD, and (2) to problemize and simplify the results in order to deepen the strategic understanding. Ten qualitative and explorative interviews are conducted wi

The theme of this essay is female genital mutilation. The essay pose the question: Can female mutilation be justified? The purpose is to identify the main values in the two argumentation lines for and against the phenomenon. By doing so analyse which of the values that are of highest priority and significance. Health, religion, freedom, justice, moral, culture, tradition, inherence, aesthetic, pol

World politics consists of different international organizations and transnational actors which operate alongside with states. This thesis describes how international organizations and transnational actors are organized and their influence on world politics. These actors need to cooperate with states in order to have an impact, but they are not only powerless actors in world politics. The purpose

This essay investigates how issues about gender equality and diversity are understood in local government. The study is conducted in the municipality of Lund and is based on material such as equal opportunities programs and multiplicity plans. The author uses intersectionality theory to explore if these questions are seen as separated or interacted with each other. By using discourse analysis five

Political deconfessionalisation is a national objective for Lebanon, stated in the Taef agreement that ended the civil war. The consociational democracy upon which Lebanon is based, suggests a political representation of all groups in a pluralistic society. In Lebanon these groups are the religious communities and the system is referred to as confessional. The confessional system was viewed as an

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the values involved, and the values which I believe should be presented in the African Charter. The overall aim is thus to broaden the understanding of the statute by examining if it meets the criteria of the values and argue for the values with similar magnitude which are not mentioned in the Charter but in my opinion should be included and at the same time