http://dx.doi.org/10.17176/20221013-230349-0 https://verfassungsblog.de/waiting-for-godot/ Waiting for Godot - Ursula von der Leyen’s statements on the Italian elections and the Union’s toolbox against rule of law backsliding in Member States Di Federico, Giacomo eng 2022-10-13 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Italy Populism Rechtspopulismus Right-wing populism Rule of Law Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 The words of the President of the European Commission during her keynote speech at Princeton University on 22 September have caused quite a stir. Responding to a question about the (then) upcoming elections and the prospect of a right-wing government comprising members related to Putin, Ursula von der Leyen (VDL) surprised everyone with a reference to the well-known situations in Hungary and Poland. Now that the formation of a new Italian government is well underway, this contribution reconsiders the fears fueled by VDL’s statements in light of the past and current context to draw some more general conclusions on the institution’s duty to respect and promote the EU’s founding values.