| Course title | Protection of rule of law and problems of democratic governance in the EU |
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| Course code | KPO/MPDEU |
| Organizational form of instruction | Seminar |
| Level of course | Master |
| Year of study | 1 |
| Semester | Summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 3 |
| Language of instruction | Czech |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Lecturer(s) |
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| Course content |
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1. The EU as a community of liberal democracies: the concept of liberal and illiberal democracy 2. The concept of the rule of law. Definition of "rule of law" and its structural elements. The European Union's concept of the rule of law and its importance for the functioning of the EU and the promotion of the Union's objectives. 3. Problems of democracy in the EU member states - institutional framework with focus on executive-legislative relations 4. Problems of democracy in EU member states - political actors, populism 5. Problems of democracy in EU member states - accountability and the rule of law 6. EU Legal Instruments for the Protection of the Rule of Law (Hard Tools): Article 7 TEU and the Role of Member States, Infringement Proceedings 7. EU Instruments for the Protection of the Rule of Law (Soft Tools): Structured Dialogue, Rule of Law Reports, and the EU Justice Scoreboard 8. EU Financial Instruments for the Protection of the Rule of Law: Regulation 2020/2092, Structural Funds, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility 9. The EU's Democratic Deficit: Assessment and Opportunities for Citizen Participation 10. EU Conditionality: The Impact of the Accession Process on Democratization in Current Candidate Countries 11. The EU and Third Countries: The Values Dimension of EU Foreign and Security Policy, Strategies and Instruments, and Human Rights Protection 12. Economic Development, Socio-Economic Inequality, and Democracy: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
| Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming) |
| Learning outcomes |
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The course introduces students to contemporary challenges to democracy and the rule of law in the European Union. It examines the value-based dimension of European integration and presents the EU as a community of liberal democratic states. Attention is devoted to both the internal and external dimensions of democracy and the rule of law. Topics include democratic backsliding in EU Member States, judicial and media independence, EU instruments for the protection of the rule of law, democracy promotion beyond the EU's borders, accession conditionality, and sanctioning mechanisms. The course is based on the analysis of selected case studies.
Students who have completed this course should identify the key problems of democracy in the EU, both on the level of member states and on the supranational level. The students will also get knowledge about the mechanisms of the EU and other international organizations on the protection of rule of law. |
| Prerequisites |
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The completion of this course is not conditioned upon completion of any other courses.
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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Student performance
Obligatory attendance in seminars, active participation and successful final test result are required in order to receive colloquium. |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2024) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 4 | Recommended year of study:4, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2019) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2019) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 4 | Recommended year of study:4, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2019) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2024) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 1 | Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2024) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2019) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 1 | Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Law | Study plan (Version): Law (2024) | Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding | 3 | Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: Summer |