Making Rule of Law Resilience Work in EU Enlargement

The online event “Making Rule of Law Resilience Work in EU Enlargement”, held on 12 March 2026, brought together the authors of the RESILIO-ACCESS Snapshot series to discuss the main challenges and opportunities for strengthening rule of law resilience in EU accession countries.

Featuring contributions from Zoran Nechev, Anamarija Velinovska, Borjan Gjuzelov, and Jelena Pejić Nikić, the discussion explored how the RESILIO-ACCESS framework contributes to understanding democratic resilience and supports evidence-based policymaking in the enlargement process.

Participants highlighted the growing global decline in the rule of law and the need for more effective EU enlargement policies. The discussion emphasized that while existing EU conditionality mechanisms have significant potential, their inconsistent application can undermine public trust and weaken support for reforms. It also examined how increasing securitisation and an excessive focus on political stability may negatively affect democratic governance, while stressing that resilient democracies depend on strong institutions, independent media, and an active civil society.

Another key topic was the role of judicial independence as a cornerstone of rule of law resilience. Participants noted that adequate and sustainable funding of judicial systems is essential for protecting courts from political influence and ensuring their effective functioning. Overall, the event highlighted the importance of translating research findings into practical recommendations that can strengthen the EU accession process and promote more resilient democratic institutions.

Read the report on EU Accession and Rule of Law Resilience: Credibility and Leverage at the Core here.

Read the report on Judicial Independence and Expenditure in EU Accession Candidates here

Read the report on Order and Security as Pillars of Rule of Law Resilience here

Read the snapshots here

Watch the full version of the recorded event: Rule of Law Resilience in EU Accession Countries | RESILIO-ACCESS Snapshots (Recording)

The data discussed, in the form of the RESILIO-ACCESS Monitor, is available online here.

About the RESILIO-ACCESS: Resilience Observatory on the Rule of Law in EU Accession Candidates project: How resilient is the rule of law in the EU enlargement countries? RESILIO-ACCESS uses an interdisciplinary approach to answer this question and identifies how EU enlargement policy can contribute to resilient democratic structures in the region. The project is jointly implemented by the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) Berlin and the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” Skopje.