The rule of law ensures that everyone is held accountable according to the same rules, while a free press keeps a spotlight on the centres of powers. However, we have seen how the erosion of one has led to the weakening of the other, undermining democracy in the European Union.
Now, what can we do about it? How can freedom of the media and the rule of law strengthen each other to help stem the tide?
We talked to four people at the forefront of this fight:
- Adam Bodnar, Poland’s Commissioner for Human Rights
- Julia Haas, Project Officer, Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
- Lisa-Maria Kretschmer, Advocacy Advisor, Reporters Without Borders Germany
- John Morijn, Professor of Law & Politics in International Relations at the University of Groningen, Commissioner at the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights
View the full recording of the event below.
Hans Felber-Charbonneau, Communications Coordinator at Democracy Reporting International, moderated the discussion.
Democracy Reporting International (DRI) works to improve public understanding of the rule of law in the EU as part of the re:constitution programme, implemented with Forum Transregionale Studien and funded by Stiftung Mercator. Sign up to DRI’s newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more about the rule of law in Europe.
Photo credit: Diana Robinson / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0