http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/389d140e12e6eda8 https://verfassungsblog.de/same-old-same-old/ Same Old, Same Old - Nothing New for the Council’s Annual Rule of Law Dialogue Lobina, Benedetta eng 2023-12-15 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Council Presidency Council of Europe EU rule of law framework Political Rule of Law Enforcement University College Dublin | Dublin University College Dublin | Dublin Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 Following the General Affairs Council on 12 December 2023, the Spanish presidency issued its conclusions on the evaluation of the Annual Rule of Law Dialogue (ARoLD). The overly positive assessment that transpires from the conclusion fails to convince, due to the continued reliance on confidentiality and the lack of any tangible standards. Moreover, the improvements suggested by the Presidency fall overwhelmingly short of addressing the issues that plague this instrument, confirming it as a weak exercise in posturing with no real stakes involved.