Challenges of EU Rule of Law Protection

From 16 to 17 April 2026, the Salzburg Centre of European Union Studies (SCEUS) hosted the workshop “The Multi-level Challenges of EU Rule of Law Protection” in Salzburg. Organised by the DEUDEM project (The Domestic Politics of EU Action against Democratic Backsliding), the workshop brought together scholars from several universities and research projects working on EU multi-level politics in the area of rule of law protection and democratic backsliding. Over two days, participants discussed their ongoing work and comparative findings related to democratic backsliding, parliamentary accountability, and rule of law protection. Sessions also explored new avenues for collaboration. The workshop offered a valuable opportunity for academic exchange and helped strengthen cooperation among researchers in this field.

How to Restore Democracy?

On 15 April 2026, the Salzburg Centre of European Union Studies (SCEUS) hosted the public roundtable “How to Restore Democracy? Hungarian Elections and Lessons from Poland” in Salzburg, featuring Kinga Koranyi, Aleksandra Maatsch and Michael Blauberger. The roundtable discussed the implications of Hungary’s latest parliamentary elections and the prospects for restoring democracy. They also discussed lessons from Poland’s experience on the challenges of rebuilding the rule of law. The roundtable discussion was the public kick-off event of a two-day research workshop on “The multi-level challenges of EU rule of law protection”, which brought together experts on EU multi-level politics in the area of rule of law protection and democratic backsliding.

Young Scholars´ Workshop on EU studies

We had the pleasure of hosting the SCEUS Young Scholars’ Workshop 2025, supported by EUCHALLENGES and ECSA Austria, at the Salzburg Centre of European Union Studies, held on 15–16 May in the stunning Edmundsburg at Mönchsberg. Centered on the theme “The State of the EU 15 Years After the Lisbon Treaty,” the two-day event brought together early-career researchers from across Europe, presenting insightful work at the intersection of law, political science, and economics. The workshop featured six thematic panels: 🔹 Foreign Relations and Migration 🔹 Migration and Social Rights 🔹 Financial Supervision 🔹 Monetary Policy and Firms 🔹 EU Budget and Union Powers 🔹 Rule of Law and Legal Protection. We are grateful to our distinguished discussants – including Ariadna Ripoll Servent, Diana Niksova, Alberto Ruiz-Ojeda, Kilian Rieder, Günter Herzig, and Laure Clément-Wilz – for their valuable feedback and engagement throughout.