16 July 2026
When Lady Justice Lifts Her Blindfold, Briefly
Justice, one could say, did not take off her blindfold on July 7th – but she did lift it, just a fraction, long enough to check in with political reality. Paris’s court of appeal upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misappropriating public funds, yet softened the 2025 ban on her running for office just enough to keep a presidential bid in 2027 on the table. The guilty verdict stands – it is the sentence that now intrudes less directly into the democratic arena. Continue reading >>
0 
29 May 2026
The Problem Is Not Politicization
When judicial nominations fail, the instinct is to blame politicization. But the collapse of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy for the German Federal Constitutional Court and the historic Senate rejection of Jorge Messias for Brazil's Supreme Court point to a different diagnosis. The problem did not lie in politics as such – but in the Brazilian intuition of “politicagem”: the subordination of judicial selection to short-term electoral performance. Continue reading >>
0
16 April 2026
Last Court Standing
Democracy and the rule of law are in decay globally. In Ecuador, President Noboa continues his attempts to transform the state towards authoritarianism. So far, the Constitutional Court has successfully resisted these attempts and preserved its independence and integrity. Whether it can maintain this position will likely become clear in the coming days. Two rulings are pending that are crucial for the survival of Ecuadorian democracy. For this reason, the court is once again facing drastic intimidation. Continue reading >>
0
13 April 2026
Two-Thirds Majority Is Essential but Not Enough
We can start now rebuilding our democracy and constitutionalism. TISZA Party, led by Péter Magyar, secured a constitutional majority on 12 April 2026. This broad democratic authorization allows for the creation of a new constitution, but it will take time, a lot of effort, and careful consideration. A constitutional majority provides an exceptional form of democratic authorization. Yet, especially in reconstruction contexts, it risks reproducing the very patterns of concentrated and exclusionary lawmaking that characterized the previous regime. Continue reading >>
0
26 January 2026
Sins of the Fathers
Egypt’s most chaotic election produced not only allegations of fraud, but a subtle and consequential judicial shift: military service was recast as a condition of political eligibility. A discretionary administrative exclusion was turned into a permanent bar from office, with far-reaching effects for opposition candidates and democratic representation. Through technical legal reasoning rather than overt repression, courts reshape electoral competition and redistribute political power. Continue reading >>
0
28 November 2025
Tanzania and the African Union’s Blind Spots on Democratic Backsliding
Tanzania’s 2025 elections, declared won by President Samia Suluhu with 97.66% of the vote, were condemned by observers as failing to meet basic democratic standards. Yet the African Union Commission initially issued a congratulatory statement, raising questions about the AU’s approach to unconstitutional changes of government. These events expose a deeper problem: The AU’s norms against unconstitutional changes of government l must encompass undemocratic elections orchestrated by incumbents. Continue reading >>
0
18 November 2025
A Familiar Dynamic Full of Unknowns
This past Sunday, Chile held general elections. Sunday’s results and forecasts suggest that José Antonio Kast of the far-right Republicanos will become Chile’s next president in the run-off on December 14. With the country currently experiencing a drive towards political extremes and instability, Kast’s presidency could unfold in two directions: it might either produce a Bukele-like regime focused on law and order that would potentially do away with democracy and the rule of law; or it could face the rapid growth of popular opposition to his austerity plans, possibly in the form of street protests. Continue reading >>11 August 2025
A Fallen Curtain and Open Questions
On 25 June 2025, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights delivered its Decision on Kovačević v. BiH. This ruling could completely change the legal assessment of strict ethnic quota systems in political institutions for worse. While the case originates from Bosnia and Herzegovina, it will likely have far-reaching political consequences for other power-sharing systems in and beyond Europe, as well. Crucially, it is prone to “overrule” all previous judgments of the ECtHR against BiH. This means that it will render all future efforts to support constitutional reform in the country futile, because it seems to legitimize the de facto strict ethno-national cartel of power materialized in its constitution. Continue reading >>
0
10 August 2025
The Texas Gambit
American politics at present is defined by the daily discarding of long-standing norms. The latest ignominy involves the brazen attempt, by the Republican leadership of the State of Texas, to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts to give the GOP control over an additional five seats; a move that, if successful, would raise the number of U.S. House seats held by Texas Republicans. What is unprecedented in the Texas situation is both the origin and timing of the attempted gerrymander, and the gaudy theatricality that has followed. Continue reading >>
0
18 June 2025