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Recently, we have witnessed the rise of illiberal populists turning into autocrats. Despite the success stories of Poland and Slovenia, autocratic episodes in the EU are likely to recur. Any violation of democratic principles is undermining the fundaments of European integration. EU institutions must be ready to respond.
Government change is the first step to stop the rule of law erosion and democratic backsliding. In legal terms and in a broader socio-political context, the scale of destruction often dictates the pace of overcoming autocracy. Next to preventive approaches to avert autocratic episodes, it is necessary to draft exit strategies from autocracy and accelerate re-democratisation. This refers both to the national level and inward-oriented EU policies for promoting democracy.
The project looks at recovering from autocracy, taking the positive cases of Poland and Slovenia and the counterexample of Hungary. It will identify paths to re-democratisation and legal, policy, and political dilemmas of restoring the rule of law. It will also provide recommendations for the EU institutions on how to better support re-democratisation in EU member states and mitigate autocracy risks in the future.
The research will be carried out during the mobility phase in Warsaw and Brussels.