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German indifference to attacks on democracy in Hungary and Poland

In this opinion piece for the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, co-founder of Democracy Reporting International, argues that democracy problems in EU Member States are not an internal affair but an issue that affects all Member States – for three reasons: First, EU law prevails over national law and often affects citizens directly. For this reason, EU law must be adopted in a democratic process – among other by the EU Council composed of democratic governments. Second, the internal market can only function if its rules are democratically legitimate. Third, enforcement of EU law rests on independent national courts. Until now the public in Member States has voiced concerns in general terms but concrete action is missing. This is a problem.

 

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