18 January 2026
Politik unter der Flagge von Wissenschaft?
Neutralität ist kein Machtinstrument, sondern eine professionelle Haltung. Der Vorwurf, Objektivität diene heute vor allem der Disziplinierung kritischer Stimmen, greift zu kurz. Nicht politische Enthaltung, sondern die klare Trennung von wissenschaftlicher Analyse und politischer Stellungnahme schützt die Glaubwürdigkeit der Rechtswissenschaft – gerade in unruhigen Zeiten. Wer unter dem Banner der Wissenschaft politisch interveniert, riskiert, wissenschaftliche Autorität zu missbrauchen. Verantwortung zeigt sich in methodischer Disziplin und der bewussten Begrenzung der eigenen Rolle. Continue reading >>
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Neutralität als Fiktion
Neutralität im Recht verspricht Objektivität und Distanz, doch sie entpuppt sich als historisch normiertes Machtinstrument, das heute vor allem kritische Stimmen in Institutionen und Wissenschaft zum Schweigen bringt – während der Schutz des Status quo als unpolitisch durchgeht. Früher begrenzte sie staatliche Macht, nun dreht sie das Blatt zugunsten asymmetrischer Rhetorik, die Demokratieverteidigung delegitimiert. Die Antwort heißt reflexive Objektivität: Prämissen transparent machen, Machtverhältnisse beleuchten und bei Angriffen auf die Verfassung aktiv Verantwortung übernehmen. Continue reading >>Greenland and the Spectre of Dispossession
When it came to grabbing territory, the British had effective techniques by the 1960s. Morning-tea at Downing Street could accomplish what a U.S President’s incontinent media posts have been threatening to do with much froth and fury since 2019: The dispossession of the Chagossians was sealed during one morning in 1965, and should now serve as a cautionary tale for Greenland. Like the Chagos Archipelago, Greenland might find itself dismembered and carved up to serve the security interests of Europe. The path to dispossession is being built on the fallacy that the Arctic zone presents a security threat to the U.S and Europe. The true peril, however, comes from the interconnected vulnerabilities of climate destruction and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Continue reading >>
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16 January 2026
Two Non-Constitutional Non-Democracies
Later this year, parliamentary elections will be held in Hungary and Israel, two autocratizing countries, whose incumbents are close allies of Donald Trump. The prospects for democratic and constitutional recovery in both Hungary and Israel depend not only on domestic political conditions but also on an increasingly permissive global environment in which systems of governance that fail to meet the requirements of either constitutionalism or democracy reinforce and normalize autocratization. Continue reading >>No Elegy for Ultra Vires
Heiko Sauer recently diagnosed a “course correction in European constitutional law”. In light of the Second Senate’s Egenberger judgment, he paints a picture of a Federal Constitutional Court returning to calmer waters after the seismic aftershocks of the PSPP judgment. As tempting as this interpretation may be – driven by a desire for a harmonious cooperative relationship between courts –, it risks equating the mere absence of open conflict with structural pacification. I would like to both add to and modify Sauer’s thesis: institutionalisation, rather than the “deflation” of review, which just reduces its effectiveness, is the solution. Continue reading >>
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Freiwillig heute, Pflicht morgen
„[N]ous avons besoin de mobilisation“ – mit diesem Ruf nach militärischer Mobilisierung leitete Präsident Macron 2025 die französische Wehrdienstreform ein. Frankreich und Deutschland verfolgen nun eine Rückbesinnung auf diesen Dienst, ohne aber die klassische Wehrpflicht wieder einzuführen. Beide Länder reagieren auf neue Bedrohungen mit innovativen freiwilligen Diensten – statt eines Zwangsdienstes. Wie sich zeigen wird, verfolgen sie mit dieser Lösung einen Schlingerkurs zwischen historischem Pflichtbewusstsein und modernen freiheitlichen Wertevorstellungen. Continue reading >>15 January 2026
Der Richter ist sein Henker
Die Wahl eines neuen Richters des montenegrinischen Verfassungsgerichts am 25. November 2025 hat einmal mehr ein strukturelles Problem offengelegt: Die Richter:innen entscheiden faktisch über das Ende ihrer eigenen Amtszeit – und können dadurch die verfassungsgemäße Erneuerung des Gerichts blockieren. Damit steht nicht nur die Nachbesetzung einzelner Stellen, sondern die Funktionsfähigkeit des Verfassungsgerichts – und damit der Verfassungsordnung insgesamt – auf dem Spiel. Continue reading >>“It’s Geoeconomics, Stupid”
“It’s the economy, stupid”, the famous catchphrase in the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign, emphasized the importance of economic growth and stability for US voters. The economic argument was also decisive for Trump’s second win. While he promised the return of a US golden age, the US economy has so far been riding on a rollercoaster. As world economies remain interconnected – even in a postliberal view – the Greenland crisis puts geoeconomics centre stage, with the United States using economic and coercive instruments to achieve strategic geopolitical goals. Continue reading >>
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14 January 2026
Remaking the United Nations
It has long been recognised that the institutional structure of the United Nations—most centrally, the veto power of the permanent members of the Security Council—is deeply problematic. What is now at stake is not whether the United Nations can be improved, but whether it can continue to function when its most powerful members openly exempt themselves from its core commitments. We have reached the point when the Charter’s principles require rethinking the UN’s institutional form. Continue reading >>Grabbing Greenland
The US have doubled down on their threats to seize Greenland, oscillating between long-standing demands that Denmark sell the island to more recent allusions that force may be used if it doesn’t. Trump’s antics over Greenland have politically divided allies and left NATO and the EU de facto and de jure compromised. In this situation, willing, able and trusted states would be well advised to strengthen a European pillar which is complementary to NATO, i.e. one that can plug and play with the US in the Alliance where it can, and autonomously where it must. Continue reading >>
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Bremer Türöffner zur klimaresilienten Finanzverfassung
Die Klimakrise stellt den Staat vor langfristige Aufgaben, deren Bewältigung erhebliche finanzielle Mittel erfordert. Ob die bestehende Finanzverfassung mitsamt der Schuldenbremse eine klimakrisenbedingte Kreditaufnahme ermöglicht, ist seit einiger Zeit umstritten. Der Staatsgerichtshof Bremen beantwortet diese Frage mit dem Urteil vom 23. Oktober 2025, indem er die Klimakrise als „außergewöhnliche Notsituation“ anerkennt. Dies ist bemerkenswert: Während das Bundesverfassungsgericht im KTF-Urteil die explizite Einordnung der Klimakrise offengelassen hatte, schließt Bremen diese Lücke nun ausdrücklich. Continue reading >>Keeping Up with Changing Times
The Venice Commission’s Rule of Law Checklist is one of the most influential soft-law instruments for assessing constitutional governance in Europe and beyond. In December 2025, this comprehensive framework has recently undergone a significant update. The revised text reframes the rule of law in light of new challenges. The result is a complex document that captures the defining features of today’s digital constitutionalism, where constitutional democracies and human rights are not only threatened by public authorities, but also by private actors governing spaces which are formally private but practically functioning as public squares. Continue reading >>13 January 2026
Simmenthal in Strasbourg
In Europa Way S.r.l. v. Italy, the ECtHR delivered its judgment on 27 November 2025. For the first time, the ECtHR required domestic courts of EU Member States to set aside national legislation that is incompatible with EU law, thereby aligning itself with the strand of case-law of the CJEU dating back to Simmenthal II (1978). While this alignment with EU law is to be welcomed in principle, the way in which the ECtHR assessed the legal consequences arising from the CJEU’s prior judgment is doctrinally questionable. Continue reading >>European Solidarity and Union Citizens in Greenland
While the EU and its Member States have consistently signalled solidarity with Denmark and Greenland since Trump’s inauguration in early 2025, Europe’s strategy so far has been cautious and may no longer be sufficient. The current situation will test whether European solidarity can evolve beyond rhetoric into a form of “defence solidarity”, ultimately requiring Member States to share military burdens in defence of both Greenlandic Union citizens and European sovereignty. Continue reading >>
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Taiwan’s Xiaohongshu Ban and Freedom of Expression
On December 4, 2025, Taiwan's Ministry of Interior imposed a one-year ban on Xiaohongshu (Rednote), a Chinese social media platform, which has become an important source of everyday information, particularly for younger users in Taiwan. The government’s decision to block access to the platform raises fundamental questions about platform governance in democracies: how should governments balance cybersecurity concerns with freedom of expression? These questions arise with particular intensity in Taiwan. Continue reading >>
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Greenland and US Annexation Threats
Regardless of whether the US administration’s renewed threat to annex Greenland materializes, its multiple legal ramifications warrant serious analysis under public international law and within the EU legal order as mediated by Danish domestic law. President Trump has not only refused to rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland but has also repeatedly doubled down on his annexation ambitions, transforming what might once have been dismissed as rhetorical provocation into a credible geopolitical scenario. Continue reading >>12 January 2026
Wo die Nachtigall trapst
In einer nächtlichen Kommandoaktion lässt Donald Trump Nicolás Maduro nach New York entführen und erklärt Strafverfolgung zum Instrument globaler Macht – begrenzt allein durch seine eigene Moral. Weder der Vorwurf des „Narcoterrorismus“, noch demokratische Defizite, noch historische Präzedenzfälle tragen völkerrechtlich eine solche Gewaltanwendung. Auf dem Spiel steht damit nicht nur das Schicksal Maduros, sondern die Frage, ob das Völkerrecht noch verbindliche Grenze der Macht ist oder zum Feigenblatt gewaltsamer Regimewechsel verkommt. Continue reading >>
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Religionssensibles Unionsrecht im Grundrechtspluralismus
„Doomsday“ ist ausgefallen. Die schaurige Faszination für den Rechtskonflikt, die einige Beobachter aus Medien und Rechtswissenschaft teilen, erhält keine neue Nahrung. Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat mit seinem langerwarteten Beschluss in der Sache Egenberger eine kluge und ausgewogene Entscheidung getroffen. Es hat weder das kirchliche Arbeitsrecht musealisiert und seine etablierte Rechtsprechung aufgegeben, noch eine Kraftprobe mit dem Europäischen Gerichtshof begonnen und den unionsrechtlichen Vorrang geleugnet. Continue reading >>10 January 2026
Retreating from Internationalism
On January 7, President Trump issued a memorandum, “Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States.” The memorandum lists 66 entities for withdrawal, many of which are connected to the United Nations. This is another dramatic signal from the Trump Administration. It shows scorn for the global commons and disdain for the United Nations. The symbolic impact is obvious and vicious. The practical impact is harder to measure. Continue reading >>
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09 January 2026
Repression Through Interpol
Belarus weaponizes Interpol Red Notices to hunt exiled activists across Europe, as seen in filmmaker Andrei Hnyot's year-long detention on fabricated tax charges. This creates a procedural paradox for the EU: mutual-trust systems like Schengen must filter politicized data to uphold ECHR Article 3 and Charter Article 19 non-refoulement duties. Can Europe's constitutional safeguards withstand this authoritarian assault on cooperative policing? Continue reading >>
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The Rohingya Case Gets a Hearing
On 12 January 2026, the International Court of Justice will commence the oral proceedings in Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v Myanmar). Over the course of three weeks, the ICJ will hear arguments concerning The Gambia’s claim that Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya ethnic minority within its territory has breached Myanmar’s obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The Gambia v Myanmar provides the ICJ with a key and timely opportunity to clarify the law of genocide, especially in situations of armed conflict or counter-insurgency. Continue reading >>God Save Freedom of Expression
An art exhibition by Cypriot artist George Gavriel was cancelled last month following intense political and social reactions, culminating in death threats and a violent attack. The episode raises a fundamental question under Article 10 ECHR: can the suppression of artistic expression through political instrumentalization and institutional withdrawal amount to an interference with freedom of expression in the absence of a formal ban? Read against the Court’s jurisprudence, the Gavriel episode illustrates a broader structural failure rather than an isolated anomaly. Continue reading >>08 January 2026
Try harder hilft selten
Kriminalitätsbelastete Orte in Berlin werden durch die neue ASOG-Novelle (§ 24e) zu Hochburgen automatisierter Videoüberwachung und KI-gestützter Verhaltensanalyse – ein massiver Eingriff ins Recht auf informationelle Selbstbestimmung. Trotz Versprechen gegen Racial Profiling und diskriminierende Algorithmen bleibt die Regulierung vage, Evidenz zur Wirksamkeit fehlt, und Stereotype drohen Stigmatisierung zu verstärken. Hält die Novelle verfassungsrechtlich stand? Continue reading >>07 January 2026
Allwissende Polizei?
Sachsen plant ein neues Polizeigesetz, das intelligente Datenanalysen, KI-gestützte Videoüberwachung und biometrische Abgleiche zum Kern polizeilicher Gefahrenabwehr macht – mit Signalwirkung weit über den Freistaat hinaus. Die „Algorithmisierung“ der Informationsarbeit verschiebt Eingriffsschwellen ins Gefahrenvorfeld, verdichtet Grundrechtseingriffe, erzeugt neue Diskriminierungsrisiken und verlagert zentrale Weichenstellungen vom Parlament in die Verwaltung. Damit stellt sich zugespitzt die Frage, wie viel technologisch gestützte Effizienz eine freiheitliche Ordnung verträgt, bevor sie ihre eigenen verfassungsrechtlichen Grenzen überschreitet. Continue reading >>Harmonizing Corporate Unsustainability
On December 16, 2025, the European Parliament approved the Omnibus I package, a deregulation initiative that amends key EU corporate sustainability instruments, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. While Schönfelder and Streibelt argued that despite the amendments, “the CSDDD remains strong, especially its obligations on human rights and environmental due diligence”, I contend precisely the opposite. Continue reading >>
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Kangaroo Courts and EU Law
In Commission v. Poland, the Court of Justice ruled that Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal no longer qualifies as an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. The ruling decisively addresses the status of the body currently masquerading as Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, although one may question whether the Court did not commit a category error by taking the outputs of such a body seriously. Continue reading >>
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The Monster Screaming the Loudest
In late October 2025, the majority of the Latvian Parliament voted to denounce the Istanbul Convention. This move faced considerable civic protests and was ultimately suspended due to a presidential veto. Nevertheless, what happened in Latvia was not a mere national power play. The withdrawal attempt was a manifestation of a broader challenge posed to Latvia and to Europe in general by disinformation, the growing backsliding threats to constitutional democracies, and by an ancient monster still lurking in the shadows of Europe. Continue reading >>06 January 2026
Europe Must Draw the Line
The long-term impact of U.S. intervention in Venezuela will not be decided in Caracas or Washington, but elsewhere. With intervention now framed as a standard policy instrument of the USA, it is the response of other states — including in Europe — that will determine whether the erosion of international law becomes normalised across regions. Continue reading >>Defending Democracy Against Itself
Five years ago today, Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol after his defeat in the 2020 election. Two years ago, in Trump v. Anderson, the U.S. Supreme Court kept Trump on the presidential ballot. What would the world look like if militant democracy had prevailed in the United States? Maybe not so different after all. Democracy is best defended not by banning its opponents, but by renewing popular support through participation, persuasion, and substantive reform. Continue reading >>
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05 January 2026
The Seizure of Maduro as a Repudiation of Legal Constraint
The Trump Administration’s armed attack on Venezuela and seizure of President Maduro does not even purport to serve the values of the international community. Its rhetoric dismisses communal interests and values with performative brazenness. It evokes a pre-Charter world of “spheres of influence,” where regional powers are licensed to pursue their own ends through imposition upon weaker neighbors. Continue reading >>When Context Disappears
In Slagelse Almennyttige Boligselskab, the CJEU addressed whether Denmark’s "social mixing" policy in public housing amounts to ethnic discrimination under EU law. While much commentary has focused on ethnic origin and integration narratives, this contribution shifts attention to housing itself. The Court’s reasoning abstracts away the material realities of eviction and housing commodification, with the consequence that harm is fragmented and housing policies may more readily be framed as legitimate tools of “integration” and “social cohesion,” even where they disproportionately affect minority groups. Continue reading >>
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04 January 2026
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
The Court of Justice’s judgments in W.S. et al and Hamoudi mark an important shift in accountability at Europe’s borders. The Court made clear that Frontex cannot evade judicial responsibility for fundamental rights violations. The rulings lower evidentiary hurdles for victims of deportations and pushbacks and underscore that remedies against EU agencies must work in practice. Taken together, the cases push back against Frontex’s long-standing structural irresponsibility and reaffirm the rule of law in EU asylum governance. Continue reading >>
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03 January 2026
This Is Not Simplification
The European Union’s digital rulebook is increasingly criticized for its complexity, prompting calls for simplification. However, recent proposals like the draft Digital Omnibus regulation are strong on limiting rights but weak on providing clarity. To achieve simplification, we must comprehend and address the root causes of complexity by clarifying rights and obligations, reducing regulatory overlaps, and prioritising long-term coherence over short-term fixes. Continue reading >>
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02 January 2026
When National Courts Say No
On 16 December 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered its judgment in Gondert v. Germany. At the centre of the dispute lies the duty to give reasons. In the triangular relationship between EU law, the ECHR, and national legal orders, the duty to state reasons plays a catalytic role: without adequate reasons, the much-cited “dialogue between courts” cannot operate as genuine dialogue. Gondert improves matters to some extent, but it cannot by itself remedy the deeper structural weaknesses that shape how that dialogue functions. Continue reading >>
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The EU’s 1787 Moment
Recent actions by the United States vis-à-vis Europe, such as the adoption of the National Security Strategy, suggest that the European Union might need to make some quick, existential decisions in the coming years in order to better protect its interests. Europe can look to U.S. history for an example of how to proceed and generate what we might call “a 1787 moment.” Continue reading >>29 December 2025
Die Last der Soldaten
Kurz- bis mittelfristig wird es hierzulande wohl auf eine Wehrpflichtlotterie oder eine Wiedereinsetzung der allgemeinen Wehrpflicht hinauslaufen. Das sollte die gesellschaftliche und akademische Debatte jedoch nicht davon abhalten, grundsätzlicher nach den rechtlichen Logiken, institutionellen Optionen und ihren normativen Begründungen und Implikationen zu fragen. Politischer Pragmatismus und das Denken innerhalb verfassungsrechtlicher Schranken sollten dabei nicht das letzte Wort haben. Continue reading >>24 December 2025
Antisemitism on Trial
Antisemitic incidents in Germany have risen sharply since October 7, 2023, intensifying pressure on courts, public authorities, employers, and universities to determine where democratic contestation ends and unlawful discrimination begins. While many of these incidents never reach legal thresholds, courts are repeatedly called upon to decide whether contested speech, conduct, or affiliation constitutes legally relevant antisemitism. These decisions must be rendered in binary terms—lawful or unlawful, permissible or sanctionable—even when social meaning, political symbolism, and intent remain deeply contested. Continue reading >>Tampering with the ECtHR
On Human Rights Day, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe convened an informal ministerial conference. The reason was that the ECtHR has come under pressure from its member states. Given the ongoing interference with the Court, I propose that the latter should define and apply contempt measures to sanction member states intruding on its independence and impartiality. States that publicly put political pressure on the Court, try to influence its judgments outside of proceedings, misrepresent its case law and role, or disrespect its authority, should face accountability under the ECHR. Continue reading >>23 December 2025
From Security to Economics
Last week, by adopting Regulation 2025/2600, the Council effectively froze Russian state assets permanently. They had already been frozen under the EU sanctions regime which required unanimous renewal every six months. In our view, this permanent freezing under Article 122(1) TFEU remains primarily designed to address matters of foreign policy and violates the conferral of competence. In the long term, given that the frozen assets also serve as a security for the newly agreed loan of EUR 90 billion for Ukraine, this will also jeopardize the enforceability of the said collateral. Continue reading >>
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„Legalistischer Islamismus“
Das Bundesinnenministerium will künftig nicht mehr allein den „gewaltbereiten Islamismus“, sondern auch den sogenannten „legalistischen Islamismus“ bekämpfen, der nach Auffassung des Ministeriums „ebenfalls die Demokratie und den gesellschaftlichen Frieden“ bedrohe. Es solle ein dauerhafter Beraterkreis „Islamismusprävention und Islamismusbekämpfung“ eingerichtet werden, um den im Koalitionsvertrag vereinbarten Bund-Länder-Aktionsplans umzusetzen. Mit dieser begrifflichen Ausweitung betritt das BMI ein rechtsstaatlich problematisches Terrain, in dem sicherheitspolitische Bewertungen Vorrang vor verfassungsrechtlich garantierten Grundrechten und der Rechtsweggarantie erhalten. Continue reading >>Verfassungsrecht nur der Form halber
Das Zitiergebot in Art. 19 Abs. 1 S. 2 GG steht nicht allzu oft im Scheinwerferlicht. Das BVerfG hat dieses Gebot in der Vergangenheit restriktiv – also gesetzgebungsfreundlich – ausgelegt. Der jüngste, auf eine Verfassungsbeschwerde ergangene Beschluss vom 1. Oktober schafft in dem Bestreben um Klarheit neue Unklarheiten. Vielleicht ist es an der Zeit, mit der vom BVerfG ungeliebten Formvorschrift abzurechnen. Weil eine demokratischere, grundrechtsstärkende Auslegung bzw. Erneuerung der Norm unerreichbar scheint, hieße dies (für den verfassungsändernden Gesetzgeber): Abschied nehmen. Continue reading >>Judicial De-Simplification
In early December, the Court of Justice handed down a controversial ruling in Russmedia – indicating that online platforms can no longer confidently rely on EU intermediary liability law for protection against legal responsibility for user content in cases which involve data protection violations. Russmedia significantly weakens the intermediary liability protection – but the extent of the damage to the safe harbour remains unclear. The judgment can be read as having either a broad or narrow application, and the extent of the damage will depend upon how expansively the case is interpreted. And already, different actors are reading the judgment in very different ways. Continue reading >>
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22 December 2025
Bolsonaro’s Quasi-Amnesty
After the Brazilian Supreme Court convicted Bolsonaro and other military figures for their role in the January 2023 coup attempt, many saw this as a positive example for the world. Justice Moraes, the rapporteur and central figure in Bolsonaro’s prosecution, hailed these developments as a “triple victory”: for the judiciary, which “did not yield to threats”; for national sovereignty; and for democracy. Last week, however, Congress approved the so-called Dosimetry Bill, which allows for a significant reduction in sentences for those convicted. In light of the Bill, such declarations of triumph warrant reconsideration. Continue reading >>
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The CJEU Providing Ammo in the ECtHR Rainbow Fight
The issue in Cupriak-Trojan case arose when Poland refused to recognize a same-sex marriage legally concluded in another Member State. The ECtHR had already convicted Poland because same-sex partners cannot formalize their relationship under Polish law. Following these ECtHR convictions, the CJEU ruled that Poland must recognize same-sex marriages concluded in other Member States. This ammunition to enforce ECtHR’s convictions comes in two forms: mobilizing the national judges to recognize foreign same-sex marriages and gently pushing the Polish legislator towards passing the civil partnership bill into legislation. Continue reading >>
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Trojan
On 25 November 2025, ECJ ruled in Trojan that EU Member States may not refuse to recognise a same-sex marriage lawfully concluded in another Member State. Such refusal violates the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States. Unlike earlier judgments, the Trojan ruling marks a significant step towards full recognition of legal status across the EU. Hence, the duty of recognition no longer only refers to the formation of a civil status itself, but now also appears to extend to its legal effects. Continue reading >>
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Scharf, lückenhaft, unterbelichtet
Vor kurzem wurde der Chefredakteur des rechtsextremistischen „Aula“-Magazins in Österreich wegen „Wiederbetätigung im nationalsozialistischen Sinn“ sowie Verharmlosung des Holocaust zu vier Jahren Haft verurteilt. Das Urteil macht sichtbar, dass sich die liberale Demokratie in Österreich auch von ihrer wehrhaften Seite zeigen kann. Angesichts einer Verfassung, die lange Zeit als bloße „Spielregelverfassung“ verstanden wurde, ist die Rede von einer wehrhaften Demokratie in Österreich dabei allerdings keineswegs selbstverständlich. Dabei würde es der Begriff der wehrhaften Demokratie erlauben, diese verstreuten Mechanismen dogmatisch zu bündeln. Continue reading >>When Universities Govern
When UN Special Rapporteurs send an allegation letter to a university, international law is doing something unusual. On 14 October 2025, five mandate-holders addressed such a letter to Columbia University, raising concerns about protest policing, disciplinary sanctions, surveillance, and the treatment of non-citizen students and scholars in connection with Gaza-related expression and assembly. The letter does not resolve disputed facts. Its importance lies elsewhere: it reflects a shift in how international human rights law responds to the privatisation of coercive governance. Continue reading >>
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Europe’s Climate Crisis Is a Rule-of-Law Crisis
After watering down the 2040 emission reduction target, running the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive over by the Omnibus, and now attempting to kill the combustion engine ban, European climate governance has entered the territory of lawlessness. European climate governance is no longer only about the climate. It has become a rule of law issue and should be treated as such. Continue reading >>
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21 December 2025
A General Obligation to Monitor
In Russmedia Digital, the ECJ ruled at the beginning of December that in cases dealing with data protection violations, such as defamatory content, the notice-and-takedown procedure should not be applied, but rather that the respective platform is (jointly) liable for illegal content from the publication of the content on. Clearly unaware of the enormous implications of its decision for the freedom of expression and information of millions of users in the EU, the Court is thus demanding the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring system for communication in the digital public sphere. Continue reading >>
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Patchwork Policing
In November 2025, the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia amended their state police laws to enable or expand the use of the US intelligence software Palantir – and thus triggered debate on AI use. Meanwhile, France and Luxembourg prioritise authorising AI-supported video analysis in public spaces. While the regulatory details may differ, the underlying dynamic is the same: legislatures are progressively expanding AI-assisted police powers without a coherent regulatory concept, exposing fundamental rights to uneven and unnecessary risks. Continue reading >>
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