This Week’s Quotes
| Human Dignity “Self-respect is the fruit of discipline, the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” — Abraham Joshua Heschel, Poland |
Freedom “Freedom is the ability to be yourself towards yourself and towards the world.” — Radoslav Rochallyi, Slovakia |
| Democracy “We know that Athens was democratic and Sparta was aristocratic. That’s what we learn in school, because that is how it really seems. Until we remember that Athens also had its slaves, just as Sparta had its helots.” — Stjepan Radić, Croatia |
Equality “Those who are subordinate are rebelling to become equal. Those who are equals rebel to become superior.” — Aristotle, Greece |
| Rule of Law “The rule of law is the basis on which our Treaties are built. It is fundamental that all Member States adhere to the Treaties they all signed up to when they joined the European Union. Values matter.” — Roberta Metsola, Malta |
Human Rights “We have built our society by including everyone, and by placing human rights, fundamental freedoms and equality at the very centre.” — Sanna Marin, Finland |
As noted by Alida Schreuders in a prior reflection on this site, “if the EU is to be a credible guardian of its values, Europeans must move beyond symbolic commitment toward practical, principled action.” Nowhere is this truer than with respect to the rule of law. Metsola notes with respect to the rule of law that “values matter.” Who can disagree with this? However, too often it is difficult to see these values adhered to, protected, and advanced. Of particular concern today are the values associated with the rule of law—both its fundamental principles and its associated institutions.
As we look around the liberal democracies today—not only in Europe but around the world, and most notably in the United States—the rule of law is under attack. We see ample evidence that insufficient attention has been paid to not only embracing the values the rule of law embodies, but also to maintaining and protecting the institutions created to sustain it. Fundamentally, the rule of law requires respect for an independent judicial system, media freedom, a fight against corruption, active checks and balances, a robust civil society, and the protection of human rights—collectively intended to provide citizens with protection from the arbitrary exercise of power.
Even a cursory scan across the European landscape today reveals persistent and emerging threats to these principles and institutions—some obvious and some less so—with both being weakened, if not dismantled. This is true in long-standing model democratic systems, like Sweden and Germany, and their younger neighbors, like Spain and Poland, with Hungary providing a master class in the unraveling of the rule of law.
To date, European vigilance with respect to the rule of law has been weak and concrete action in its defense even more so. As Radbruch notes, “the best thing about democracy is precisely that it is the only thing capable of safeguarding the rule of law.” EU citizens consistently demonstrate that they believe the rule of law is important, but politicians do not always work to protect these values. Instead, political expediency often prevails over principled and courageous action. The rule of law will survive only when both leaders and the public have the conviction to hold those breaching the rule of law accountable. Vigorous, principled, and articulate defense is required—by citizens and public officials—to uphold these core values.
The rule of law requires constant attention and renewal; like a farmer’s field, it does not simply exist and produce of its own volition, but must be regularly tilled, nurtured, and maintained. Values matter, but determined and coordinated action is needed to protect these principles, ensure the quality of democratic governance, and guarantee the rights of citizens. No democratic polity—or political union—can exist without fundamental political principles that play out in meaningful ways in real time. Now is the moment to stop taking democracy for granted, to see the warning signs, and to fight to defend the pillars of the liberal order.