Security & Geopolitics#4
China
Partner, competitor and systemic rival — all at once.
+2
Europe's public debates
The Agenda
62 issues shaping Europe's politics.
From Ukraine to pensions — the debates every European government and party is answering.
62 topics9 themes27 countries
2 topics
Rule of law & democratic backsliding
Can the EU defend democracy inside its own borders?
In short
The EU uses rule-of-law reports, budget conditionality and Article 7 procedures against breaches of judicial independence, media freedom and anti-corruption standards, most prominently in Hungary. The European Democracy Shield adds new tools.
Why it matters now
Europe's rule-of-law map is shifting. Hungary's April 2026 election, with record turnout, ended 16 years of government by the same party and opened a slow repair of courts and media; Slovakia has moved the other way, prompting EU infringement cases; Poland shows how hard repair is. V-Dem now counts seven EU member states in democratic decline. Citizens rate equal treatment by the courts as the most important part of democracy, and among the least delivered.
The divide
Enforcers
tie funds to values
Sovereigntists
Brussels overreach
Pragmatists
avoid escalation that blocks unanimity.