This is a complex topic and you do an excellent job of outlining here some of the key challenges

in implementing a fiscal union in the EU. The writing is clear, the proposal is well structured,
and there's a good discussion of some key literature. - at least 20/30 sources for the
dissertation

This proposal provides a good foundation for you to start the dissertation writing and research.

As you do so, here are some things to bear in mind:

-You mention near the beginning of the proposal that the position of Germany and France
toward the fiscal union is similar. If this is indeed the case, what is the purpose of comparing
them? More thought needs to go into the case selection, we should discuss further.

-The "problem statement" is good, but could be framed in a way that gets to the heart of the
matter: fiscal union would provide stability, but at the expense of sovereignty. And countries
that oppose the fiscal union (especially Germany) worry about the problem of moral hazard (i.e.
they worry that if there's a fiscal union some countries might not behave responsibly with their
fiscal policy because Germany will always be there to back them up). - Me saying why my
project matters, ie fiscal union has both advantages and disadvantages ; gives stability but also
compromises sovereignty

-In your research questions, you should refer specifically to France and Germany if they're
going to be your focus. I think it makes sense to frame your research questions in the following
way: 1. What are the positions or Germany and France on the fiscal union? 2. How do we explain
their positions on the fiscal union? What do these positions tell us about the limits and
possibilities of a fiscal union? Engaging with these questions gives you a much clearer
purpose.

-One section that is lacking in the proposal is theory. You mention optimal currency area theory
and this makes for a natural point of department. For the dissertation it would make sense to
make OCA the focus of a theory section, outlining what it is and what some of the main
critiques of it are. You should also think about OCA in relation to both France and Germany.
What can it (and what can it not) tell us about their preferences when it comes to fiscal union?

-Again, in the argument section there's no reference to France and Germany

-In terms of methodology, I don't think it's feasible to do survey questionnaires and elite
interviews (plus, you need research ethics clearance to do this). If you based the analysis on
the three questions I mentioned above, then you should find plenty of material in official
documents and new media reports (to get a sense of the positions of France/Germany and why
they hold them). - it is better to look for documents and media reports etc rather than surveys.
Engage with theory , my starting point is optimal currency area , look at what OCA says about
Fiscal Union and then use it as my starting point.
I could either mention OCA, neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism or simply stick with
OCA.Look on google scholar about theories of EU integration. But it is ok to stick with oca, if i
argue that its 100% correct and helps us to understand the possibilities and limits of a fiscal union ,
i can stick with it, but if i think that its limited in some way, i could bring in the other 2 theories
(intergovernmentalism and neofunctionalism)