Is there a New Impetus or a Political Paralysis regarding the protection of the EU’s Fundamental Values?

CímIs there a New Impetus or a Political Paralysis regarding the protection of the EU’s Fundamental Values?
Közlemény típusaRiport / Report
Év / Year2015
SzerzőkHegedűs, Dániel
Publikálás dátuma / Date Published08/2015
Összefoglalás

The paper puts the most important proposals and adopted procedures under the microscope, which were placed on the agenda since 2010 to enhance the level of protection of the European Union’s fundamental values and to complement the existing Article 7 procedure. While it strives to identify key dilemmas and variables based on which these policy tools can be evaluated as well as conducts a comparative European legal and political analysis, the paper finally argues that the quality and performance of the procedural tools has only secondary importance vis-á-vis the existence or non-existence of political will to scrutinize and sanction the violation of the fundamental values. Therefore one can observe rather a political paralysis than a new impetus in this field. Nevertheless the new Hungary Resolution of the European Parliament from June 10, 2015 can help to break the Council’s political and institutional deadlock around the Commission’s Rule of Law Initiative. However, not a Philosophers’ Stone like new procedure, but an activist approach both from the Commission and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) as well as a political backing by the European Parliament are the crucial factors to the success; to enhance the Member States’ compliance with the EU’s fundamental Values.