During the official visit of a delegation of the Court of Justice of the European Union to the Supreme Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Cyprus (1–4 November 2025), President Koen Lenaerts delivered a keynote lecture titled “The Rule of Law Under Strain: Safeguarding Democratic Principles Against Evolving Threats.”
The lecture examined the increasing pressures on democratic systems within the European Union. President Lenaerts highlighted the dual nature of current challenges: external threats, such as geopolitical aggression, and internal dynamics, including democratic backsliding and attempts to weaken judicial oversight. Drawing extensively from CJEU case law, he outlined how EU law reinforces democratic resilience across Member States.
Key themes of the lecture included:
- Article 2 TEU and the EU’s foundational values, which form the constitutional identity of the Union;
- The interplay between EU-level and national democracies, and the development of the concept of “demoicracy”;
- Judicial independence and the rule of law, including the courts’ role in preventing impunity and safeguarding checks and balances;
- Transparency, access to documents and accountability as essential components of democratic trust;
- Freedom of expression and media pluralism, ensuring that public debate remains open and protected;
- The protection of civil society organisations, which contribute to a vibrant and participatory democratic environment.
President Lenaerts concluded with the reminder that democracy is not preserved solely through legal frameworks but requires active engagement and a shared commitment to its values.
Our law firm follows closely the evolution of EU constitutional principles and the jurisprudence shaping the rule of law across Europe. These developments remain central to our advisory and litigation work, particularly in matters involving judicial protection, institutional accountability, and fundamental rights.
Our Managing Partner, Theodoros Economou, attended the lecture, reinforcing the firm’s dedication to staying at the forefront of EU legal developments.
