Discriminating Against Democracy? The So-Called “Cordon Sanitaire” and its Implications for European Parliamentary Democracy
The composition of the European Parliament changed significantly with the last European elections. Despite the shift in the political balance of the House, four political groups of the European Parliament agreed to apply the so-called “cordon sanitaire”, a discriminative exclusion
From Expression to Oppression? Discrimination against Christians in the Article 10 Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights
Observing the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights on the limits of freedom of expression determined by freedom of religion, one can easily observe that these limits are treated differently in relation to various religious groups. This applies
Of Disparagement and Other Demons: Trends in EU Competition Law Enforcement in the Pharmaceutical Sector
Disparagement practices (spreading misleading information to undermine competitors' products) as an anti-competitive practice in the pharmaceutical sector is not a new topic in EU competition law. However, this practice has not been an enforcement priority at the EU level for
Transparency in Action: Access to Information under the Digital Markets Act
Digitalization 4.0 has created a new reality that opens up regulatory gaps in many areas and led to a veritable sprouting of new legal acts at the EU level (think of the recently introduced Artificial Intelligence Act, for example, but also
Chipping Away at the Integration? A Technologically Challenged and Divided EU vs. A High-Tech Union
The EU has announced its new industrial policy, moving from being the guardian of open markets with fair and undistorted competition to being the enforcer of common economic objectives. It has been forced to do so by external shocks and
Draghi Drops the Mic: EU Competitiveness in Crisis, Time to Wake Up!
Mario Draghi released his long-awaited report on the EU’s competitiveness on the 9th of September. The report is essentially a wake-up call, stating that if the EU does not take steps to change the direction of its economic policy, the EU
Speaking the Same Language on Enlargement? Multilingualism and Translation Issues in the Context of a Broadening EU Integration
The expansion of the European Union with new countries will bring additional linguistic diversity into the Union. Will the EU be able to retain its unique policy of language equality, at a time when it is inevitable to have some
Behind Closed Doors: Von der Leyen’s Commissioner Reveal Puts New EP Rules to the Test
The European Parliament adopted modifications (Parliament 2024 report) to its Rules of Procedure on the 10th of April, 2024. In previous posts, a more general analysis was made regarding its content on Constitutional Discourse (here, here, and here). This post
Energetic Energy Relations? The Energy Charter Treaty and the European Union
In 1990, at a European Council meeting in Dublin, Ruud Lubbers, the Dutch Prime Minister, who, at the time, presided over the Council, called for more institutionalized relations with the energy-rich economies in Eurasia following their collapse in order to
From Guardians to Gatekeepers: The European Commission’s Push for Influence in Commissioner Selection
Every five years, the focus of European public discourse shifts to something reminiscent of political TV series on streaming platforms. People are stepping down, some are bitter with decisions regarding candidate choices, others have scandals, and everyone is curious about