CEE vibes

An infringement ruling in 129 days – How fast can the Court of Justice of the European Union be?

University College Dublin has just been announced as the host of the next round of the world's biggest event in public law! The 2026 @icon-s.bsky.social conference will be hosted in Belfield in July 2026 by the UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies led by Prof Carolan & @ucdschooloflaw.bsky.social

A court ruling within days? Examples from the US Supreme Court, and the @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social.

🏃‍♂️ A preliminary ruling in 40 days – Have you ever wondered how fast the @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social can be? Here are some numbers.

Postponing the final vote on the bill is not a retreat but merely a tactical delay. Protests by civic actors, media and businesses helped secure this temporary relief. The next months will be crucial to safeguard freedom of expression, association and assembly. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

At the ICON-S CEE conference at Eötvös Loránd University, I argued for the @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social to strengthen its supervision of @europarl.europa.eu elections. Why?

We joined @liberties.eu's open letter to @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu, warning of the severe and existential threat to democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law in Hungary and in the EU as a whole. Already 320+ orgs from all over Europe have joined the call on the Commission to act fast.

Some Fidesz MPs have already hinted which media outlets could be subject to the so-called transparency law, which at the end could lead to their closure. If the Orbán government dares to use this instrument, the independent media will have to show unprecedented solidarity with those under attack ✊

Here is our own, unofficial translation of the Starve & Strangle bill: helsinki.hu/en/wp-conten...

@hungarianhelsinki.bsky.social calls on the the @ec.europa.eu to seek interim measure against new Hungarian law targeting civil society, media and others.

🇭🇺 🇪🇺 Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony asks Commission President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu to request an interim measure against a new legislative proposal that targets media, civil society, and others.

@politico.eu: "The bill says threats to national sovereignty include influencing public opinion, promoting democratic debate, or challenging state-defined values like Christian culture and traditional family roles."

🇭🇺 A new Hungarian legislative proposal threatens to severely hinder the operation of rights protection organisations and the media. telex.hu/english/2025...

‼️A Fidesz bill has been tabled at midnight that would make it extremely difficult for organisations receiving foreign funding to operate and exist in Hungary @telexhu.bsky.social reports. 🧵

🚨🚨Major ruling expected this week from the General Court of @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social on #Pfizergate- a ruling which may have lasting implications for @ec.europa.eu president @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu's legacy. 🧵 www.politico.eu/article/von-...

#Poland ’s #EU Presidency: A breath of fresh air🌬️or a missed opportunity? ⚖️Judicial reforms & rights protection are on the table. But tackling democratic backsliding? Silence. 📺Watch the #RuleofLawWatch ep. 2. Our @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social explores promises & limits of Poland’s EU leadership:

What Can We Learn from the Iberian Power Blackout? (Call for Papers) The unprecedented power outage that struck mainland Spain and Portugal on April 28, 2025, provides an exceptional case study not only on the state of the energy transition but also on risk regulation lnkd.in/dP2yEqvz

🏃‍♀️ Faster courts needed for @europarl.europa.eu elections: Important recommendations for the @ec.europa.eu's Democracy Shield package. 🇪🇺

🇭🇺 Today, the Hungarian parliament adopted the law on withdrawing the mandate of members of the European Parliament. This is a concern for the EU as a whole. Read our blog post on the topic:

🇵🇱⚖️Last Friday, the Polish Ministry of Justice unveiled the eagerly awaited draft bill on reforming the judiciary, meant to address the situation of the so-called "neo judges" and reform the Supreme Court. It's a crucial element of the rule of law restoration package. 1/

🚨🚨 MAJOR NEWS: @ec.europa.eu fines Apple €500M and Meta €200M for breaking the rules of the EU Digital Markets Act, the first fines in the history of the act. 🧵 www.politico.eu/article/eu-f...

Von der Leyen with some optimism on the state of Europe in a @zeit.de interview today: “We don’t have bros or oligarchs making the rules. We don’t invade our neighbors, and we don’t punish them. […] there are 12 countries on the waiting list to become members of the EU” www.zeit.de/politik/2025...

🇪🇺 Who decides on ousting a Member of the European Parliament? 🇭🇺 A new Hungarian law would allow national authorities to revoke the mandates of elected MEPs. With Beáta Bakó, we argue that an EU-level oversight is necessary.

Leading 🇪🇺 orgs created #Nets4Dem, a network of networks. We are building resilient democracies, reconnecting with citizens, and forging new pathways for political engagement! Learn more 👇 Nets4Dem.eu

Big ideas💡need big brains🧠 Every year, the re:constitution Fellowship supports 15 early-career scholars & practitioners! As a fellow you will be part of a vibrant rule of law and democracy community. 📢Apply by April 3 👉 bit.ly/4lbnErk 📽Learn more about our network here: bit.ly/3E8as5w

Does the rule of law keep you up at night?🌙 Are you an expert in Polish politics? We’re hiring a consultant to analyse Poland’s 2025 presidential election, its impact on democracy & the rule of law in the country; and build political scenarios for different outcomes. 🎉Apply now!▶️ lnkd.in/dgWUDzAJ

Proud to be the first to like the very first post of the @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social on Bluesky!

Suspending Hungarian citizenship for dual nationals, violations of freedom of assembly and the attempt to ban Pride🏳️‍🌈 -- the Orbán government is escalating its efforts to stifle dissent and weaken human rights protections in Hungary🇭🇺. Our 2 new briefs explain the plans ➡️ helsinki.hu/en/legislati...

🇭🇺 Removal of Hungarian members of the European Parliament based on incorrect asset declarations: How EU law comes into play 🇪🇺

It's about time for this starter pack: Hungary, rule of law, human rights, media freedom bsky.app/starter-pack...

Great discussion on What Does Democracy Demand? at the Global Summit on Constitutionalism at the University of Texas at Austin. 🇪🇺 I argued that we need a much faster procedure on European Parliament election disputes at the EU level. We need a faster EU Court of Justice.

My first trip in a driverless car. Safely arrived to the University of Texas at Austin and delivered my presentation at the Global Summit on Constitutionalism.

Suspension of Hungarian citizenship. A new constitutional amendment would allow for the “suspension” of Hungarian citizenship for dual nationals. This is a thread on the possible consequences, the terrible historical examples, and legal problems.

I will present on 'Fair European Elections through the Court of Justice' at the Global Summit on Constitutionalism later this month at The University of Texas at Austin.

CJEU, rule of law Advocate General's opinion: Polish Constitutional Court unlawfully rejected primacy of EU law, and lacks judicial independence curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo...

This week: 🇵🇱 Constitutional Court cannot be regarded as an independent and impartial tribunal established by law within the meaning of EU law (CJEU Advocate General Spielmann in Case C-448/23) Hopefully someone will tell organisers of Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts...

EU courts, new cases 2/3 Media law: Orban personally sues news portal - national court is the first to send the CJEU questions on interpretation of the European Media Freedom Act eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conten... (Nb Hungary has brought a legal challenge to the Act)

⚖️ The top EU court issued an important ruling on judicial pay last Tuesday, setting a key precedent. In this blog post on Verfassungsblog, I examine why Hungary’s judicial salaries falls short of EU requirements and argue that both the European Commission and Hungarian judges should act.

This is a good report on last week's protest of Hungarian judges for the Polish speakers.

The highly anticipated judgment on judicial remuneration in the EU will be released today. The press release is already available, and the full text will follow later in the day. It will be interesting to see what impact this decision might have on the declining value of Hungarian judges’ salaries.

Messages of solidarity like the one from Judges for Judges are important. National judges in the EU are not only judges of their country; they are EU judges as well, as the European Court of Justice frequently reminds.

“No protection of the environment without independent judges”

Protesters are gathering in downtown Budapest to defend judicial independence. A live 🧵 on Hungarian judges’ protest.

Speakers of tomorrow's judicial protest include 1️⃣ András Baka (former chief justice who was dismissed for speaking out to defend judicial independence—Baka v Hungary ECtHR case), 2️⃣ Duro Sessa from the International Association of Judges, and 3️⃣ Mikael Sjoeberg from the European Association of Judges.

Why are Hungarian judges protesting this Saturday? For the rule of law. But what does that mean? Here are four reasons why it matters. 1/7

🔋 ⚖️ Our Rule of Law Community Meeting has been the perfect boost of motivation! Despite current challenges, Europe’s rule of law community is more energised and committed than ever! ⚡

Hungarian judges are closing their ranks ahead of the 22 February protest for judicial independence. High-ranking judges offer legal protection to their protesting colleagues, and András Baka, the protagonist of Baka v Hungary (a seminal ECtHR ruling), is rumoured to be speaking. 🏛️

Hungarian Judges Take to the Streets ⚖️ Judges are not typically the ones to take to the streets. But for the first time in recent Hungarian memory, judges and judicial employees are organising a protest to defend their independence. On 22 February 2025, they will march in downtown Budapest. 1/6

🇭🇺🇩🇪🇵🇱⚖️ New guy on the team alert: our @democracyreporting.bsky.social rule of law research team expands with @gszd.bsky.social (right, pictured here with yours truly, centre and out intrepid exec director @meyer-resende.bsky.social, left) joining us full time as Research Officer!