Democracy Impacts

ECtHR Intervenes over Polish Tribunal

May 10, 2021

AP reports that in what some regard as a controversial move, The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has said that Poland’s top court violated a local company’s right to fair trial due to an irregularly appointed judge.
Visegrad Group supports Territorial Integrity of Eastern Partnership Countries

May 04, 2021

The Visegrad Group countries reaffirmed their support for the territorial integrity within their internationally recognized borders of the Eastern Partnership countries at a meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Group (V4) and Eastern Partnership (EaP).
Power Struggle between Von der Leyen and Michel

May 04, 2021

Politico details how since 2019 when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took office alongside European Council President Charles Michel, there has been a when struggle over who should represent the EU on the world stage, leading to current tensions that are affecting the EU’s work internationally.
11 Countries tell Brussels to Respect National Sovereignty

April 28, 2021

In a joint statement issued ahead of the EU leaders’ summit in Porto, 11 member countries warned Lisbon and Brussels to respect national authority over policymaking in areas such as labor and employment, pensions, education and childcare.
Politico: EU climate Deal Aims to Transform ‘Every Single Sector’

April 28, 2021

Under a new political deal, EU policymakers agreed to speed up the bloc’s emission reductions to slash greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030.
Polish, Slovenian PMs Call on Germany to Withdraw from Nord Stream 2

April 26, 2021

Polish Prime Minister and Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa have called on Germany to pull out of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project which will take Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, declaring that it will destabilize Europe.
Mortimer in The Spectator: France’s growing German Skepticism

April 21, 2021

Gavin Mortimer writing in The Spectator examines how Brexit and Covid 19 have challenged relationships within the European Union and in particular the relationship between France and Germany.
ECtHR Ruling May Lay the Ground for Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

April 19, 2021

A landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that compulsory vaccination can be considered « necessary in a democratic society » potentially setting a legal precedent that will serve as a reference in the ongoing debate on whether COVID-19 vaccination should be made compulsory.
Politico: European Sovereignty has Lost Macron

April 12, 2021

Politico reports that since his election in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has been a champion of the concept of “European sovereignty” but recently the French President has signaled in speeches and interviews that national sovereignty and national politics are growing in the EU and are here to stay.
Populist Leaders Meet Seeking ‘European Renaissance’

April 07, 2021

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hosted talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Italy’s former interior minister, Matteo Salvini, in hopes of creating a new nationalist political force on the European stage which Orban described as a « European renaissance ».