Democracy Impacts

Macron appoints Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne as his Prime Minister

May 18, 2022

Following the resignation of French prime minister Jean Castex, President Emmanuel Macron has chosen Elisabeth Borne, a left-leaning technocrat, to lead his new government and will be in charge of steering through Macron’s controversial pension reform.
Politico: Nerves for EU and NATO as Le Pen Faces Macron In French Vote

April 13, 2022

The European Union and NATO are watching with interest as France heads to the voting booths in two weeks to decide if President Macron will be re-elected or Marine Le Pen, whose potential win will impact the current plans of each entity.
EU Launches Process to Slash Hungary’s Funds Over Accusations of Rule-of-Law Breaches

April 06, 2022

Just two days after the re-election of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to his fourth consecutive term, the European Commission announced it will trigger a powerful new mechanism to cut funding to Hungary who is accused of eroding the bloc’s rule-of-law standards.
EU Top Court Decision Prepares a Way to Cut Funding to Poland and Hungary

February 16, 2022

The European Court of Justice dismissed challenges from Warsaw and Budapest against an EU sanction that would stop funding to members of the bloc who break EU law, paving the way for Brussels to cut billions of euros of funds to Poland and Hungary, who are accused of violating democratic rights.
Poland Attempts to Cool Legal Conflicts with EU

February 07, 2022

In the ongoing battle between Poland and the European Union, Polish President Andrzej Duda traveled to Brussels to meet Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council chief Charles Michel with a bill aimed at ending the standoff after the Court of Justice fined the central European country €1 million per day for refusing to comply with EU directives concerning the polish disciplinary chamber.
Cyber Attacks on Ukraine leave Western Experts Seeking Best Response

January 19, 2022

Seizing the opportunity of the stand off between Russia and the West over Ukraine, hackers are disrupting various sites including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with cyber attacks and misinformation, leaving leading experts seeking the best response.
EU will Demand Poland Pay Fines for Disciplining Judges

January 12, 2022

According to Reuters, In one of the many battles between the European Union (EU) and Poland, Věra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Values and Transparency has announced that the EU is set to demand that Poland pay an estimated €70 million of fines in the coming weeks for failing to remove their system of disciplining judges.
EU Flag Flies Solo Under Arc de Triomphe Causing Political Outcry

January 05, 2022

French President Emmanuel Macron decided to fly the EU flag solo under the Arc de Triomphe, which honors those who fought and died for France in battle and houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to mark France’s EU Presidency, which took place on January 1, causing a political outcry from those concerned France’s history and identity are being erased.
Romanian PM: EU Law Prevails in Romania

January 04, 2022

Following the press release from the Romanian Constitutional Court on December 23, 2021 informing that their Constitution includes provisions that prevent the full prevalence of EU law at a national level, the Romanian prime minister Ciuca and minister of justice Catalin Predoiu made statements assuring that the EU law prevails in Romania.
Orban Will Keep Immigration Law despite EU Court Ruling

December 22, 2021

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced at a press conference that Hungary won’t change its immigration laws after the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Hungary had “failed to fulfill its obligations” under EU law by passing a 2018 bill preventing people from applying for asylum if they come to Hungary from a country where their life and freedom were not at risk.