The rule of law anchors accountable government. It limits power, protects rights, and shields institutions from capture. Across Central and Eastern Europe, reformers and illiberal leaders now fight over it. They clash on judicial independence, anti-corruption, and constitutional checks. This hub follows those fights. It tracks threats to independent courts. It covers the erosion of checks and balances. It follows corruption and state capture. Anti-corruption drives aim to claw back captured institutions. Efforts to restore checks and balances test how far reform can go. State capture remains the core risk in several member states. The EU rule of law framework and European Union values anchor the defense of democracy. EU rule of law rules also tie EU funds to reform. Fellows and analysts show where reform holds and where it bends. Explore analysis and commentary on the rule of law, judicial independence, and anti-corruption.
Rule of Law
The danger is not only that Slovakia is becoming Hungary. It is that Orbán's style of politics is prevailing across all of Europe.
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March 25, 2026
Putin Demands More Efficient Military Corruption
Changes at the top of the defense hierarchy reveal old-style graft and pressure to raise military spending efficiency.
March 12, 2026
Russia Plans an Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Kremlin’s war against international law reaches beyond mere words and now includes the use of heavily armed military squads operating on foreign soil.
March 12, 2026
Can War Veterans Build a Better Ukraine?
The military consistently tops surveys of trust in Ukraine, and war veterans could be vital to rebuilding faith in its institutions.
March 3, 2026
Has the US Broken International Law? Probably Not
International law is much more permissive of military action than many commentators understand.
February 23, 2026
Russia’s Paranoid Despot and His Secret Police
Putin’s secret police organizations are among a small band of winners from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
February 18, 2026
Time to Embrace the Western Balkans
Both Europe and the US will benefit once the six Western Balkan candidates join the EU.
January 30, 2026
Europe Should Exploit Georgia’s Regime Ructions
Purges and recriminations at the top of Georgia’s governing party have created an opportunity for Europe to support democracy.
January 22, 2026
Goethe and a Re-energized West
Assertions of power and national interest are leaving the West divided and rudderless. Referring to its cultural history could help bring it back together.
January 21, 2026
Slovakia: Technicolor Culture Wars and Grayscale Economics
Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government is struggling to make the sums add up.