This seminar explores the institutional design of the European Union in the daily operation of its legal order and the political arena. Each of its three main parts focuses on a distinct aspect of the (inter)institutional dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the role of the European Commission as a central actor in the Union’s political system. The first part deals with the internal dimension of Commission’s institutional dynamics: its composition and management of its various roles in its daily operation, evaluating the safeguards of its autonomy in the EU legal order and institutional setup, as well as harnessing its views on governance, policy development and a vision for the Union, especially in light of the recent challenges posed by the enlargement and the various crises.  The second part focuses on the relationship of the Commission with the other EU institutions and the Member States, addressing the inter-institutional balance and the new legislative framework, as well as evaluating the mechanisms of enforcing EU law and managing the Union’s response to the crisis. The third part, finally, focuses on the institutional dynamics in the EU external relations, including the appraisal of the European External Action Service, EU enlargement and a selection of case studies concerning negotiations of particular international agreements.