Why and How Should the European Union Defend its Values?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Why and How Should the European Union Defend its Values?

AU - Olsen, Tore Vincents

PY - 2023/3

Y1 - 2023/3

N2 - This article provides a normative framework for evaluating the moral permissibility of various defences of European Union (EU) values against their violation in EU member states. This requires, first, a coherent interpretation of EU values as the values of liberal democracy; second, a clear notion of when they are violated; third, a theory of how liberal democracy can be defended with measures that are consistent with the values of liberal democracy themselves; and, finally, a discussion of what the EU’s role is in this defence. The article argues that it would be permissible for the EU to combine a number of political, cultural, socio-economic and legal responses in a concentric defence of liberal democracy as long as they respect the separation of powers doctrine and do not rely on problematic notions of collective responsibility.

AB - This article provides a normative framework for evaluating the moral permissibility of various defences of European Union (EU) values against their violation in EU member states. This requires, first, a coherent interpretation of EU values as the values of liberal democracy; second, a clear notion of when they are violated; third, a theory of how liberal democracy can be defended with measures that are consistent with the values of liberal democracy themselves; and, finally, a discussion of what the EU’s role is in this defence. The article argues that it would be permissible for the EU to combine a number of political, cultural, socio-economic and legal responses in a concentric defence of liberal democracy as long as they respect the separation of powers doctrine and do not rely on problematic notions of collective responsibility.

KW - European Union

KW - EU values

KW - democracy

KW - Rule of law

KW - transnational militant democracy

KW - moral permissibility

KW - Democracy

KW - EU values

KW - European Union

KW - Moral permissibility

KW - Rule of law

KW - Transnational militant democracy

U2 - 10.1007/s11158-022-09560-5

DO - 10.1007/s11158-022-09560-5

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36034088

SN - 1356-4765

VL - 29

SP - 69

EP - 88

JO - Res Publica

JF - Res Publica

IS - 1

ER -