EU’s political mediation in internal constitutional matters as part of its evolving vision of the rule of law – Dimensions of the EU’s dialogic rule of law: ontological, organic, and legitimising – The idea of the rule of law as embedded in intrincate political and social processes – The rule of law as the core driving force in creating spaces and boundaries for dialogue, interaction, and definition of the EU’s multilevel constitutional system – Balancing inherent dialogue with decisive and strong action against member states breaching the rule of law – Multiple forms of the ideal of the rule of law within the EU’s composite constitutional framework – No one-size-fits-all response: context-sensitive approaches to rule of law deviations – Institutionalising and legally integrating mediation as an instrument in the EU’s Rule of Law Framework.

The democratic justification of academic freedom – Academic freedom and Article 2 TEU values (democracy, the rule of law) – Potential implications for the application of the EU rule of law toolbox – Complementary protection of academic freedom – Preliminary remarks on future proposals

Increased concerns about misuse of citizens’ initiatives and referendums to undermine liberal democracy – Efforts to balance popular sovereignty with the rule of law – Inadmissibility of certain types of direct-democratic requests in virtually all European states – Compliance of restrictions on what citizens may propose with the right to participate in public affairs guaranteed by Article 25(a) ICCPR – First systematic analysis of admissibility requirements and procedures for citizens’ initiatives in Europe

The growing trend of depoliticisation of constitutional court appointments across Europe – Shortcomings of depoliticised appointment models in constituting an optimal constitutional court – Strategic politicisation of appointment procedures as a solution for a more optimal constitutional court – Proposal of a baseline template drawing from different European practices – Implications for constitutional court reform in Europe