The Rule of Law Under Threat

Providing perspectives from different fields of study such as public policy and politics as well as legal analysis, this book highlights the rule of law as a fundamental value of the European Union, and examines how this is implemented throughout the Member States. The Rule of Law Under Threat explores empirical evidence and quantitative methods for studying the dynamics of this imperative legal principle in interdisciplinary research. Internationally renowned experts consider the rule of law in the context of previous and future accessions to the EU in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, with particular focus on Hungary as one of the most recent and notorious cases of rule of law deficits in the EU. Finally, the book analyses the legal and political toolbox that the EU has at its disposal to counter the erosion of rule of law standards, including the Article 7 procedure, as well as strategies which recognise specific national discourses on and perceptions of the rule of law. Students and scholars in constitutional and administrative law, European law, law and politics, and legal history will benefit from this books multidisciplinary approach to the rule of law. It is also an essential resource for practitioners and decision-makers in EU nations as well as candidate countries.