Democracy and Rule of Law Archives

Gevangenissen: te vol, te duur, en niet effectief - Shaping Europe

Prisons: too full, too expensive, and ineffective

Posted on 23 January 2025
by Yannick Schimmel

Caught in a political dilemma. It was a striking news item in late 2024: Estonia is considering opening one of its prisons to foreign inmates. Perhaps even, Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta spoke, as a kind of “Airbnb system”. Several countries soon showed interest, such as…

Georgië en Moldavië op een Kruispunt - Shaping Europe

Georgia and Moldova Choosing Their Future

Posted on 19 December 2024
by Indigo Tjan

Between European liberal democracy and Russian imperialism. Recent elections in Georgia and Moldova resulted in mixed outcomes but illustrated a shared issue. Despite the current governments’ vocal commitments to EU memberships, the countries are far from unanimously in favour. The situations of Georgia and Moldova…

EU-voorzitterschap: van Hongarije naar Polen - Shaping Europe

EU Presidency: From Hungary to Poland

Posted on 12 December 2024
by Hanna Krijgsman van Spangenberg

A look back at Hungary's presidency of the Council of the European Union and a look ahead to Poland's presidency. It was feared by many: the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). Hungary holds the presidency from July 2024 to December…

The Assassination Myth

Posted on 18 June 2024
by Indigo Tjan

Political Assassination as Opportunity for Propaganda. Assassinations of politicians are shocking moments for societies and often turning points in the political course of countries. In polarised political cultures, assassinations become even more impactful. Through three historical examples - the assassination of Pim Fortuyn in 2002,…

Let’s talk about encryption

Posted on 9 May 2023
by Ayla Elzinga

The awkward relationship between privacy and law enforcement. George Orwell’s ‘1984’ foreshadowed a terrifying dystopian reality, in which each individual is subjected to the far-stretching surveillance techniques of the state. The Edward Snowden revelations in 2013 showed that Orwell’s reality was perhaps closer than ever,…

It’s time to update the EU’s Regulation on Access to EU documents

Posted on 17 March 2022
by Ornella Rodriguez Lafuente

Concerns that the European Union lacks transparency have increased among civil society groups, journalists, and EU citizens in recent years. Access to European Union documents is and has always been a fundamental tool for ensuring transparency and increasing the accountability of EU public officials.…

No democracy, no cash: saving the Rule of Law in Europe

Posted on 9 March 2021
by Daria Stănculescu and Thomas van der Valk

The challenges of the EU’s new rule of law mechanism. The rule of law is one of the foundational values of the European Union and is the cornerstone of any well-functioning democracy. The Union institutions have repeatedly highlighted the importance of this principle, referring to…

Europe’s rule of law struggle

Posted on 10 April 2020
by Thomas van der Valk

The EU's tool box to save Poland and Hungary's democracies. Independent judges, free media, protection against discrimination and the freedom of thought and religion. They all depend on strong rule of law. In a democracy with the rule of law, the government faces checks and…