Constitutional Illiberalism Has Come to Stay. The Central European Experiences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5944/rdp.113.2022.33570Keywords:
constitutional illiberalism; liberal democracy; European Union; Poland; Hungary; rule of law; judiciaryAbstract
In Central Europe, especially in Hungary and Poland, over the last years there are serious problems related to democracy, constitutional balance and the rule of law. In a short time, the illiberal political leaders put into practice an order that calls into question principles that form part of the axiological foundation of the European Union. This article explains why illiberalism has been so successful in this region and which techniques have been used to reinforce the political capture of various state institutions, especially the judiciary. The article also contains a critical analysis of the European Union’s attitude towards Hungarian and Polish illiberalism. The general hypothesis of this study is that Hungary and Poland have gone so far towards constitutional illiberalism, that it is extremely difficult to indicate the simple legal remedies for rapid return of these countries to liberal democracy.
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