Democracy

Hungary's dismantling of the rule of law is not only presenting the EU with ever new problems. The German government, too, is challenged to react more strongly to Hungary's autocratization under the impression of the “Zeitenwende”.

The conflict over the rule of law has not only revealed cracks in the European foundation. It also shows how determined the "rule breakers" were to avoid the consequences of their actions, even sabotaging the EU's decision-making processes.

The current conflict over the rule of law is increasingly straining relations between Hungary and the EU. The conflict is becoming increasingly problematic for German stakeholders, too. Hungary is blocking important EU decisions and increasing the pressure on German companies.

The new budget conditionality mechanism opens pathways to effectively curbing democratic backsliding in the EU. Making use of its proclaimed "Zeitenwende", Germany should use its leverage and take a more pro-active approach – as in the case of Poland – to defend the rule of law.

The WB2EU Summer School for you professionals, scientists and activists took place on the Croatian island of Cres. At the center were topic such as youth participation, enlargement of the European Union (EU) and democratisations.

Some governments in Central and Eastern Europe are more illiberal than their populations. They support most of the EU’s liberal values. We analyse and explain the origins and conditions of illiberalism in the region.

The European Parliament proposes a reform of the European electoral law in order to strengthen EU-democracy. A core demand: EU-wide electoral lists. Germany should get off the side lines and support it proactively.

Several essays examine different perspectives from countries in Central Europe on the process of European unification after 1989 and 2004. In addition they discuss how we can commemorate the successes of democratic reforms and EU enlargement today.

Illiberal values in Central and Eastern Europe receive less support than some governments might suggest. Their policies often serve mere power interests. Our study provides concrete suggestions for dealing with authoritarian-populist governments in CEE.

Up until now, there has been no electoral equality in European elections: votes from larger countries have less weight. A proportional balance via EU-wide lists could solve the problem without putting smaller states in a worse position.