STG Policy Dialogues provide a platform for representatives academia, civil society, the private sector and the world of policy to exchange views on the key policy issues on international agendas. Held in accordance with the Chatham House rule, the informal and private setting allows policy-makers to debate the ideas of leading academics with their industry peers free from the constraints of traditional decision-making fora.
On Friday 15 October, dialogue participants examined the rule of law in the European Union (EU). Recent developments in several EU countries have made it clear that more needs to be done to uphold and strengthen the Rule of Law throughout the Union.
“The Rule of Law principle is one of the pillars of the EU…because the EU is not only a single market, but also a union of values,” said Vice-President Věra Jourová. “We had an important debate and [I] received a lot of good advice.”
The Policy Dialogue looked closely at the evaluation of judicial independence and at the role of national independent authorities and bodies. Participants also zoomed in on media pluralism and its role in securing an environment of transparency in which Rule of Law can prosper will be discussed. The Policy Dialogue, which was co-convened by STG Director Prof Alexander Stubb and Prof Carlos Closa, also took stock of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state of the Rule of Law in EU member states.
Jourová’s programme also included a visit to the Centre for Media Pluralism and Freedom (CMPF) at the European University Institute’s Robert Schuman Centre and a meeting with EUI President Prof Renaud Dehousse and Secretary General Marco Del Panta.
“It’s fantastic to be back [in Florence] to meet the real people who were helping me in my job over the last two years when communication was so difficult.”