All lawyers are needed to defend the rule of law and democracy against illiberal regimes in the EU

Despite growing attention from academics and the media, this essay warns that the threat to the rule of law and democracy in Europe is still being underestimated. The illiberal regime crisis is difficult to grasp because it manifests itself less in clear violations of the law and more so in the gradual erosion of the culture of the rule of law, which is often only noticeable when it is too late. There are numerous examples of erosion in several EU Member States – and in the EU itself. Countering erosion is a common undertaking of all lawyers. Thus it is all lawyers who need to take responsibility and ask whether the culture of the rule of law still aligns with democratic ideals in all areas of their expertise and day-to-day practice.