Open AccessARTICLE 7 PROCESS AND DEMOCRATIC BACKSLIDING OF HUNGARY AND POLAND. DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW
Author(s) -
Łukasz Zamęcki,
Viktor Glied
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
on-line journal modelling the new europe
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.17
H-Index - 4
ISSN - 2247-0514
DOI - 10.24193/ojmne.2020.34.03
Subject(s) - democratization , rule of law , democracy , political science , politics , process (computing) , power (physics) , law and economics , european union , path (computing) , political economy , law , economic system , economics , international trade , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , operating system , programming language
This paper examines developments in Poland following the 2015 elections and in Hungary since 2010, which included the gradual destruction of democratic institutions, challenges to the rule of law, as well as to the system of checks and balances. The authors consider the Ziblatt–Levitsky model (2018) as a meaningful framework for the analysis of the way in which the power structure was reshaped and have based their researchon the classification set out in this model. Our objective is to present the political changes that took place in the two Central-Eastern-European countries during the last decade that resulted in the process under Article 7 being used for the first time in the history of the EU. The paper conclusion is that the path of de-democratization of Hungary and Poland is seen from the perspective of the EU and Council of Europe, as similar one. In actionstaken toward both countries, the EU concerns mostly the principle of the rule of law.