Albert Rafael Guasch from Democracy Reporting International will lead a training on communication on the rule of law, focusing on effective strategies and diverse arenas for engaging a variety of audiences and communicating complex legal ideas in accessible ways. In addition, Fellow Łukasz Szoszkiewicz will offer a practical session on the use of artificial intelligence in legal research and practice, exploring how emerging digital tools can support more robust, transparent and innovative approaches to legal inquiry in consideration of potential risks and pitfalls. The Fireside Chat with Advisory Board Member Ramona Coman, moderated by re:constitution Alumnus Matteo Bonelli, will delve into current and future research on the rule of law and democratic resilience in Europe, including insights from the RED-SPINEL project. The discussion will also touch on the role of academics in public debates and contexts increasingly critical of science in Europe. A further session entitled “Judging Europe – Contestations around International Law and its Impact on the Rule of Law in Europe”, will bring together Suhad Bishara (Europe in the Middle East – The Middle East in Europe (EUME) Fellow 2024–2026 at Forum Transregionale Studien; Legal Director at Adalah), Fellow Giulia Marini and moderator Chantal Meloni (Professor at the Università degli Studi di Milano Statale and Senior Legal Advisor at ECCHR). Against the backdrop of flagrant violations of human rights and international law, the ongoing illegal occupation and settlement activities in the Westbank, a fragile ceasefire and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the session provides a space for discussion around the increasing contestations of international law in the context of Israel/Palestine and what this reveals about the broader trajectory of civil rights, the rule of law, accountability and democracy in contemporary Europe. The discussion will invite reflection on the responsibilities and limitations of legal scholarship and practice in addressing fragmentation and erosion of international law and on how European actors can move beyond introspection.
Throughout the meeting, Fellows will share updates on their ongoing research projects and continue to shape their research and contributions to the broader re:constitution discourse on rule of law and democracy in a transformative and contested Europe.
