Reading: How backsliding government parties defend democratic backsliding in the European Parliament, Thomas Winzen (https://doi.org/10.1177/14651165261463883.
(Note: these are my thoughts and comments, not the paper author’s words)
Parties in the European Parliament that support backsliding on democracy – those who don’t support democracy, in other words – don’t talk about it. In fact, they rarely refer to their own illiberalism. They point at others, they complain about unfair treatment, and they don’t even mention their own illiberalism.
There are two risks. The first is that the illiberal parties drive a ‘plague on both your houses’ nihilism, that helps them and discourages citizens from taking action to defend liberal values. The second is that if parties are staying quiet about their own illiberal plans, politics within the EU may not allow for sanctions aimed at supporting the rule of law (as applied to Hungary) – or if they are applied, they will arrive too late or not at all.
The flip side is that the parties themselves seem to realise that an outright claim of illberalism (as in Orbán’s illiberal democracy) is a bad strategy for them – though the author points out this may be more about maximising their chances
What can citizens do? Watch for what these parties do not what they say; stay aware of how illiberal actions can be cloaked under accusations
How should we change the state? A clear and independent protection mechanism for rights and the rule of law is essential – ideally one that can operate more quickly than the ECJ. Something like an OLAF for the Rule of Law, an independent office specifically designed to identify early breaches of rule of law and European values.