http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/f9387bb8f090c9da https://verfassungsblog.de/the-politics-of-european-society/ The Politics of European Society - Conservative, not Transformative van de Beeten, Jacob eng 2026-06-24 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Article 2 TEU EU European Society EU Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 Commission v Hungary marks the remarkable ascent of the European society discourse. A closer look, however, reveals that there is little transformative in the Court’s Article 2 TEU case law or its invocation of European society. Beneath the rhetoric of transformation, the institutional adaptation of the society discourse is above all conservative in nature, seeking to protect the authority of the EU. The hope that the Court will pursue a transformative agenda is unfounded. Rather, the notion of European society is instrumental in legitimising the status quo.