Rule of Law Decay: Terminology, Causes, Methods, Markers and Remedies

Abstract

This special issue on rule of law decay addresses a range of issues prompted by recent developments in Poland, Hungary and elsewhere: How to conceptualize rule of law decay? What are its characteristics? How can it be explained? Can it be detected at an early stage? What is the methodology of undermining the rule of law? What, if anything, can outsiders, especially the EU, do to counter this decay? What lessons can be drawn for demands imposed on candidates by the EU in future enlargement rounds?