Thread by @tepsaeu

"We should all be aware that the Rule of Law problems across Europe are not CAUSED by the pandemic, the pandemic raises questions of freedom vs. safety"

- @PetrKratochvl3 from @IIR_Prague kicks things off by laying out the key issue of the Debate

This sentiment reflects today's TEPSA Brief perfectly!

Check it out ➡️ tepsa.eu/tepsa-brief-jd…

As always, we will be showcasing some choice quotes from our experts💪

We start by talking about #Hungary with @BardPetra:

"#Authoritarians across the world are having a great time quashing democratic liberty in the name of fighting #coronavirus

/3

"Extreme times call for extreme measures, but that can't mean dismantling democracy's core tenets"

- @BardPetra from @ceu calls for transparency in taking required measures in fighting the #pandemic

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"#Hungary was fighting a fake 'invisible enemy' in the #refugeecrisis, now it is fighting a real one in #COVID19

@BardPetra from @ceu elaborates on the state of emergency in Hungary

/5

"The EU has been a paper tiger - the response to the enabling law proves this [...] but the EU IS NOT a paer tiger, they have a number of tools at their disposal"

- @BardPetra critiques the response to backsliding in Hungary, but offers guidance on how to improve things

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Marek Cichocki tells us more about the situation in #Poland:

"What we are witnessing from 2015 onwards is just one part of a larger picture: perhaps accession talks were too early and these consolidated democracies weren't consolidated at all!"

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"We should start a serious discussion about the consequences of democratic backsliding - is Article 7 enough? Has it worked? Will it work?"

Marek Cichocki gives us a great academic review of the current situation and how we can reverse backsliding

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As we move away from Central and Eastern Europe to #Turkey, we welcome @SenemAydnDzgit to the discussion 💪

/9

"This #COVID crisis is not creating new autocracies, but is exacerbating problems that were already there"

- As @SenemAydnDzgit elaborates, the pandemic is fuel for the fire, not the match that starts the fire

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"For example, there was already a social media law trying to get platforms to allow the government to increase its control over social media - this is on hold due to #COVID19, but is still very real"

- @SenemAydnDzgit from @SUiro elaborates on her introductory remarks

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"The government sees this as an opportunity to make sure that local oppositional administrations do not shine"

- @SenemAydnDzgit notes a parallel between #Turkey and #Hungary

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"Europe has been used to bolster the government's self representation - by comparing death rates; it has been a perfect target for #coronadiplomacy to promote claimed governmental success"

- @SenemAydnDzgit links her comments to European developments

/13

@PetrKratochvl3 has just asked @Brendandonn if the power given to @BorisJohnson has changed the fundamental balance of powers in the UK

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The answer? "No. If you have a strong parliamentary majority, your power as a government is almost limitless"

- @Brendandonn from @FedTrust explains the idiosyncratic results of the FPTP electoral system

/15

"The criticism is that he is withdrawing from the #lockdownuk too quickly! This isn't a power grab by the executive, because with an 80-seat majority, they have that power anyway!"

- @Brendandonn elaborates further on the idisyncracies of FPTP

16/

"The #Brexit referendum is the root of a lot of poison in the current system, not the #coronavirus pandemic"

- @Brendandonn's scathing indictment of the effects of Brexit on the public conversation Britain: "#Remainers critiqued the response, #Brexiteers praised it"

/17

"What we are discussing are two types of rightist government: a statist side like #Orban, a libertarian one like #Johnson, both of which present challenges and dangers"

- A great overview of the current conversation by @PetrKratochvl3

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We are opening the polls!

❓What should the @EU_Commission do to stop these threats to #RuleofLaw

❓Are these changes an existential threat to the EU?

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Our panellists are currently discussing the role of a recession on the progress of authoritarianism: does it help with propaganda, or does it harm the authoritarian incumbent?

@SenemAydnDzgit @PetrKratochvl3 @BardPetra @Brendandonn

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The survey results are in! Our audience believes...

The @EU_Commission should do more to punish violations of #RuleofLaw, which do indeed pose an existential threat to the EU

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That's the end of our Debate on #COVID19 and the #RuleofLaw - thank you to our moderator @PetrKratochvl3 from @IIR_Prague, and all our speakers:

@BardPetra from @ceu
Marek Cichocki from Natolin European Center
@Brendandonn from @FedTrust
@SenemAydnDzgit from @SUiro

/ENDS