| Popis: |
The European Union (EU) is founded on a set of shared values that include the respect for democracy and the rule of law. The promotion and strong protection of these values is at the very core of the EU's identity and must shape the Union’s (and for that matter, member states’) internal and external policies. However, over the last years the decisions of some national governments are a reminder that this assumption should not be taken for granted. This chapter focuses on recent challenges to democracy and the rule of law in Poland and Hungary and on the EU institutions’ response. Our goal is to answer one chief research question: How is the EU responding to democratic threats that originated within its Member States? Democracy, the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights are building blocks of the EU political system and the Union’s ability to uphold these values is vital both to safeguard the integrity of the European project and to guarantee its external credibility. |
