In person icon Defending Democracy? EU Institutions, Political Contestation, and the Rule of Law

Abstract

As democratic backsliding and rule of law challenges persist across Europe, the European Union faces mounting pressure to enforce democratic norms and respond to political contestation. This panel examines how different EU institutions and political actors engage with democratic resilience, institutional enforcement, and the politicization of rule of law mechanisms. Contributions analyze Hungarian MEPs' use of parliamentary questions to advance Eurosceptic and populist narratives, Poland’s 2023 elections as a case of external democratic resilience, and opposition party strategies in the European Parliament regarding democratic backsliding. Additionally, the panel investigates the European Commission’s internal decision-making in enforcing EU asylum law, as well as MEPs’ justifications for media freedom regulations, including the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and anti-SLAPP directive. By exploring these institutional and political dynamics, this discussion sheds light on the EU’s capacity—and limitations—in safeguarding democracy and rule of law.

Title	Details
Avoidance, Attack, Awareness, and Action: Opposition Party Strategies on Democratic Backsliding in the European Parliament	View Paper Details
Questioning Europe: Eurosceptic and Populist Use of European Parliamentary Questions by Hungarian MEPs	View Paper Details
The External Dimension of Democratic Resilience: Lessons from Poland’s 2023 Elections	View Paper Details
Democratic Backsliding and the Eurosceptic Factor	View Paper Details