"The EU strikes back: Can the EU Actually Save Democracy?"

"The EU strikes back: Can the EU Actually Save Democracy?"
With Giada D'Andrea

Details:

What happens when a democratically elected government starts sliding towards authoritarianism? This is the story of Hungary and Poland: once poster children of successful post-communist transition, now the EU's best-known problem children. For over a decade, the EU has watched both countries chip away at democracy - courts losing independence, media losing freedom, checks on power disappearing. All while that same EU was upholding democratic values as a non-negotiable condition for EU membership, rejecting countries like Turkiye and Serbia on exactly those grounds.

It is true, the EU didn't stay silent. It started shaming the rogue countries publicly, dragging them to court, threatening to cut off the money until things improve. But many say it was too little, too late. And here's the problem: backsliding hasn't stopped. It's spreading. And in the meantime, the EU has proven itself too slow, too bureaucratic to face down world crises like the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine. And the very institutions meant to protect European values are looking weaker by the year.

So a simple question follows: can the EU stop democratic backsliding (and save itself) before it's too late?

Giada D'Andrea is a PhD candidate in Politics at the University of Surrey, researching democratic backsliding and the effectiveness of EU rule-of-law enforcement mechanisms. Originally from a small village in Northern Italy, her BA and MA studies took her across seven different European countries, and as a PhD researcher she has gone on to present her work at conferences throughout Europe and the United States. She is passionate about democracy and human rights, and volunteers whenever she can.

Venue:
Pizza East, Shoreditch
56 Shoreditch High Street
E1 6JJ

Event Running Time:
Doors 12pm
Introduction 12:25pm
Lecture 12:30pm
Q&A 13:10pm
Finish 13:30pm

FAQs:

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Pints of Knowledge is a series of public talks where experts, researchers, and big thinkers share fascinating ideas all in the relaxed setting of a pub. We bring brilliant minds and curious audiences together over a pint, covering topics from science and politics to history, art, and beyond.

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