Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
@ehanelt.bsky.social
DPhil @ox.ac.uk 🇬🇧 • I study how authoritarian governments demolish democracy & rule of law & how to stop them. Courts & 🇪🇺⚔️🇭🇺🇵🇱 • Researcher, Judicial Resilience Project @verfassungsblog.de 🇩🇪 • re:constitution fellow 24/25 • Sr Researcher, Masaryk Uni 🇨🇿.
Pinned
Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
@ehanelt.bsky.social
· Dec 24
Getting Article 7 done: coalition-building against Hungary in the European Parliament
Following years of democratic backsliding in Hungary, parts of the European Parliament considered the use of Article 7 TEU. The Parliament’s position had evolved considerably over the years, yet it...
doi.org
🎅🚨 My paper got published today in the Journal of European Integration. 'Getting Article 7 done: coalition-building against Hungary in the European Parliament'. Thank you, Santa! 🇪🇺🇭🇺
doi.org/10.1080/0703... 🔓
#EUSky #EurSky #PoliSky
doi.org/10.1080/0703... 🔓
#EUSky #EurSky #PoliSky
Bald erscheint unsere Studie mit Szenarioanalysen zu Verwundbarkeit und Resilienz der Justiz in Deutschland! ⬇️
Ein Jahr Arbeit steckt dahinter — in 4 Wochen ist es soweit! Am 2. Dezember erscheinen die Ergebnisse des Justiz-Projekts als Buch Open Access auf unserer Homepage – für alle zugänglich. 💥
November 5, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Bald erscheint unsere Studie mit Szenarioanalysen zu Verwundbarkeit und Resilienz der Justiz in Deutschland! ⬇️
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
This probably sounds weird and technical, but it is crucial that EU member states use Article 259 TFEU to challenge democratic and rule of law backsliding in other member states, as I argue in my book.
Breaking EU rule of law protection news
Late on Thursday, the NL Parliament, by majority, instructed the NL government to initiate *Article 259 TFEU State-to-State infringement proceedings against Slovakia* over its recent constitutional change to limit LGBTIQ-rights & to deny supremacy of EU law
Late on Thursday, the NL Parliament, by majority, instructed the NL government to initiate *Article 259 TFEU State-to-State infringement proceedings against Slovakia* over its recent constitutional change to limit LGBTIQ-rights & to deny supremacy of EU law
October 20, 2025 at 10:23 AM
This probably sounds weird and technical, but it is crucial that EU member states use Article 259 TFEU to challenge democratic and rule of law backsliding in other member states, as I argue in my book.
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
Another excellent post on the destruction of academic freedom in Orban's 🇭🇺 focusing on the use of the fake "Matthias Corvinus Collegium", a key part of Orban's propaganda apparatus which recently pushed a Soviet-style "report" attacking individual professors in past or present receipt of EU funding
Though little known internationally, the Orbán-linked Mathias Corvinus Collegium is gaining ground. Its recent attack on EU academic programmes shows how it seeks to shape narratives about Europe.
ETIENNE HANELT on its growing challenge to academic freedom.
verfassungsblog.de/castles-of-i...
ETIENNE HANELT on its growing challenge to academic freedom.
verfassungsblog.de/castles-of-i...
October 16, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Another excellent post on the destruction of academic freedom in Orban's 🇭🇺 focusing on the use of the fake "Matthias Corvinus Collegium", a key part of Orban's propaganda apparatus which recently pushed a Soviet-style "report" attacking individual professors in past or present receipt of EU funding
I contributed a short piece on illiberal GONGOs (Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations) to a symposium of @verfassungsblog.de. This is the first output of my re:constitution fellowship. Check it out: ⬇️
verfassungsblog.de/castles-of-i...
verfassungsblog.de/castles-of-i...
Castles of Illiberal Thought
verfassungsblog.de
October 16, 2025 at 5:36 AM
I contributed a short piece on illiberal GONGOs (Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations) to a symposium of @verfassungsblog.de. This is the first output of my re:constitution fellowship. Check it out: ⬇️
verfassungsblog.de/castles-of-i...
verfassungsblog.de/castles-of-i...
Text and image together - pure gold! 😂
September 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Text and image together - pure gold! 😂
This means: the EU 🇪🇺 is betting on a post-Orbán future of Hungary 🇭🇺 next year.
EU moves to advance Ukraine’s accession by sidestepping Hungary - on.ft.com/4gNoWa7 via @FT
EU moves to advance Ukraine’s accession by sidestepping Hungary - on.ft.com/4gNoWa7 via @FT
EU moves to advance Ukraine’s accession by sidestepping Hungary
Brussels advises Kyiv to advance technical work despite Budapest holding up talks
on.ft.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:03 AM
This means: the EU 🇪🇺 is betting on a post-Orbán future of Hungary 🇭🇺 next year.
EU moves to advance Ukraine’s accession by sidestepping Hungary - on.ft.com/4gNoWa7 via @FT
EU moves to advance Ukraine’s accession by sidestepping Hungary - on.ft.com/4gNoWa7 via @FT
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
Exciting news: Patrick Leisure is a re:constitution Fellow 2025/26! 🎉 His project explores states’ positive obligations under the ECHR & schools, inspired by Amy Guttman’s Democratic Education. He follows colleagues @katarinasipulova.bsky.social & @ehanelt.bsky.social from last year. See link below👇
September 22, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Exciting news: Patrick Leisure is a re:constitution Fellow 2025/26! 🎉 His project explores states’ positive obligations under the ECHR & schools, inspired by Amy Guttman’s Democratic Education. He follows colleagues @katarinasipulova.bsky.social & @ehanelt.bsky.social from last year. See link below👇
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
Yesterday @ehanelt.bsky.social & @fzillessen.bsky.social (Verfassungsblog’s Judicial Resilience Project) brought a paper "Analysing Democratic Backsliding Before It Happens: Studying Judicial Resilience in Germany Through Scenario Analysis" 🔗Follow the project on: verfassungsblog.de/justiz-proje...
September 10, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Yesterday @ehanelt.bsky.social & @fzillessen.bsky.social (Verfassungsblog’s Judicial Resilience Project) brought a paper "Analysing Democratic Backsliding Before It Happens: Studying Judicial Resilience in Germany Through Scenario Analysis" 🔗Follow the project on: verfassungsblog.de/justiz-proje...
🚨 The Special Issue 'Rule of Law and Rechtsstaat under pressure' of the German Journal of Comparative Politics (ZfVP) is finally out! It was edited by Hans-Joachim Lauth, Marta Bucholc and Nicolas Hayoz.
Check it out the contributions here: ⬇️
link.springer.com/journal/1228...
Check it out the contributions here: ⬇️
link.springer.com/journal/1228...
Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
Die Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft publiziert bilinguale, innovative Forschungsergebnisse aus dem Bereich der Vergleichenden ...
link.springer.com
August 29, 2025 at 9:47 AM
🚨 The Special Issue 'Rule of Law and Rechtsstaat under pressure' of the German Journal of Comparative Politics (ZfVP) is finally out! It was edited by Hans-Joachim Lauth, Marta Bucholc and Nicolas Hayoz.
Check it out the contributions here: ⬇️
link.springer.com/journal/1228...
Check it out the contributions here: ⬇️
link.springer.com/journal/1228...
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
The Socialists in the EP have leveraged a no-confidence vote put up by the far right to effectively gut a major part of the reform of the EU budget. Stunning development that further imperils the prospect for a major MFF reform. I had hopes that this time would be different. But I was naive.
Thread:
Thread:
Socialists to support von der Leyen in no-confidence vote after she backs down on EU budget
European Commission president expected to easily survive ― but she has made two major concessions.
www.politico.eu
July 10, 2025 at 9:10 AM
The Socialists in the EP have leveraged a no-confidence vote put up by the far right to effectively gut a major part of the reform of the EU budget. Stunning development that further imperils the prospect for a major MFF reform. I had hopes that this time would be different. But I was naive.
Thread:
Thread:
Das ist auch vor dem Hintergrund neuer Diskussionen über "Verfassungstreuechecks" mit Regelanfragen beim Verfassungschutz z.B. bei der Einstellung von Richtern, eine sehr interessante Studie.
Can banning political ideologies protect democracy? 🛡️🆚🗣️
Our (w. @valentimvicente.bsky.social) paper finds: punishing individuals might backfire. We study a West German policy banning "extreme left" individuals from working for the state.
#Democracy #PoliticalScience
🧵
url: osf.io/usqdb_v2
Our (w. @valentimvicente.bsky.social) paper finds: punishing individuals might backfire. We study a West German policy banning "extreme left" individuals from working for the state.
#Democracy #PoliticalScience
🧵
url: osf.io/usqdb_v2
July 10, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Das ist auch vor dem Hintergrund neuer Diskussionen über "Verfassungstreuechecks" mit Regelanfragen beim Verfassungschutz z.B. bei der Einstellung von Richtern, eine sehr interessante Studie.
As part of my re:constitution fellowship I spent time at and worked with the wonderful people of the HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, especially the Institute of Legal Studies, to study academic freedom (and its boundaries) in Hungary.
June 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM
As part of my re:constitution fellowship I spent time at and worked with the wonderful people of the HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, especially the Institute of Legal Studies, to study academic freedom (and its boundaries) in Hungary.
MCC, one of Orbán's lavishly-funded, regime-loyal 'think tanks' builds a new campus in Budapest – truly an 'illiberal castle'. I went on a walk to Gellert Hill last night to investigate the site. Not much to see yet, but it's going to be BIG.
June 26, 2025 at 9:17 AM
MCC, one of Orbán's lavishly-funded, regime-loyal 'think tanks' builds a new campus in Budapest – truly an 'illiberal castle'. I went on a walk to Gellert Hill last night to investigate the site. Not much to see yet, but it's going to be BIG.
Sehr cooler Artikel dazu, wie man mit der russischen Schattenflotte umgehen kann, wenn sie Sabotageakte verübt.
Behandelt sie wie Piraten. 🏴☠️
Behandelt sie wie Piraten. 🏴☠️
June 25, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Sehr cooler Artikel dazu, wie man mit der russischen Schattenflotte umgehen kann, wenn sie Sabotageakte verübt.
Behandelt sie wie Piraten. 🏴☠️
Behandelt sie wie Piraten. 🏴☠️
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
Dungeons and Dictators: A Role-Based Simulation of Authoritarian States:
@jpseeditors.bsky.social
Robert Keener
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
@jpseeditors.bsky.social
Robert Keener
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Dungeons and Dictators: A Role-Based Simulation of Authoritarian States
This article introduces the simulation “Dungeons and Dictators”, a role-playing simulation designed to mimic the logic of authoritarian states. While teaching democracies and international organiza...
www.tandfonline.com
June 20, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Dungeons and Dictators: A Role-Based Simulation of Authoritarian States:
@jpseeditors.bsky.social
Robert Keener
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
@jpseeditors.bsky.social
Robert Keener
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
I'm delighted to be starting my 2nd mobility phase today as part of my re:constitution fellowship. I'm visiting Political Capital in Budapest.
June 23, 2025 at 9:17 AM
I'm delighted to be starting my 2nd mobility phase today as part of my re:constitution fellowship. I'm visiting Political Capital in Budapest.
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
"Voters electing the world leaders who subsequently took their countries down the road of electoral autocracy were in many cases choosing well-known, experienced political figures who were promising to reform democracy, not dismantle it."
www.journalofdemocra...
www.journalofdemocra...
Beyond Performance: Why Leaders Still Matter | Journal of Democracy
Delivery matters, but so do leaders’ actions. Why have so many, in both strong and weak economies, been pushing against democratic constraints on their power, and why have those constraints failed to…
www.journalofdemocracy.org
June 17, 2025 at 4:42 PM
"Voters electing the world leaders who subsequently took their countries down the road of electoral autocracy were in many cases choosing well-known, experienced political figures who were promising to reform democracy, not dismantle it."
www.journalofdemocra...
www.journalofdemocra...
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
Nach den Beschlüssen des VG Berlin sind die drei beteiligten Richter*innen diffamiert und bedroht worden.
Kein Ausnahmefall, meint PHILIPP KÖKER (@philippkoeker.bsky.social), denn autoritäre Populisten arbeiten systematisch daran, die Justiz zu delegitimieren.
verfassungsblog.de/delegitimier...
Kein Ausnahmefall, meint PHILIPP KÖKER (@philippkoeker.bsky.social), denn autoritäre Populisten arbeiten systematisch daran, die Justiz zu delegitimieren.
verfassungsblog.de/delegitimier...
June 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Nach den Beschlüssen des VG Berlin sind die drei beteiligten Richter*innen diffamiert und bedroht worden.
Kein Ausnahmefall, meint PHILIPP KÖKER (@philippkoeker.bsky.social), denn autoritäre Populisten arbeiten systematisch daran, die Justiz zu delegitimieren.
verfassungsblog.de/delegitimier...
Kein Ausnahmefall, meint PHILIPP KÖKER (@philippkoeker.bsky.social), denn autoritäre Populisten arbeiten systematisch daran, die Justiz zu delegitimieren.
verfassungsblog.de/delegitimier...
I love creative legal solutions. 😍
Hungary is threatening to obstruct the extension of EU sanctions against Russia.
A lot is at stake, including Europe's security.
ARMIN VON BOGDANDY & LUKE DIMITRIOS SPIEKER (@mpil.de) with a new proposal on how to overcome Hungary's veto:
verfassungsblog.de/hungarian-ve...
A lot is at stake, including Europe's security.
ARMIN VON BOGDANDY & LUKE DIMITRIOS SPIEKER (@mpil.de) with a new proposal on how to overcome Hungary's veto:
verfassungsblog.de/hungarian-ve...
June 13, 2025 at 11:18 AM
I love creative legal solutions. 😍
"TUSK BETWEEN NAWROCKI AND A HARD PLACE" 🤣
Well done, @politico.eu, well done!
Well done, @politico.eu, well done!
June 3, 2025 at 8:06 AM
"TUSK BETWEEN NAWROCKI AND A HARD PLACE" 🤣
Well done, @politico.eu, well done!
Well done, @politico.eu, well done!
Today, Ministers meet in the Council of the 🇪🇺 (GAC) to discuss the rule of law in Hungary 🇭🇺 for the eighth time under Article 7(1) TEU. Again, there won't be a majority for finding that Orbán's actions constitute a 'clear risk of a serious breach' of EU values.
www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
No majority among EU countries to sanction Hungary over rule of law
EU ministers are set to discuss the potential of sanctioning Hungary over its rule of law concerns, but there is no majority for imposing sanctions. #EuropeNews
www.euronews.com
May 27, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Today, Ministers meet in the Council of the 🇪🇺 (GAC) to discuss the rule of law in Hungary 🇭🇺 for the eighth time under Article 7(1) TEU. Again, there won't be a majority for finding that Orbán's actions constitute a 'clear risk of a serious breach' of EU values.
www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
Yesterday, I spoke at the Institute for Legal Studies of the HUN-REN Centre for Social Science in Budapest & introduced my re:constitution research project 'Castles of Illiberal Thought & Mercenary Thinkers: Academic Legitimation of Authoritarian Politics in 🇭🇺'. I learned a lot from the discussion.
May 16, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Yesterday, I spoke at the Institute for Legal Studies of the HUN-REN Centre for Social Science in Budapest & introduced my re:constitution research project 'Castles of Illiberal Thought & Mercenary Thinkers: Academic Legitimation of Authoritarian Politics in 🇭🇺'. I learned a lot from the discussion.
Reposted by Dr Etienne Hanelt 🇺🇦
I am very excited to share a new working paper coauthored with @amaliaab.bsky.social.
Using a field experiment, we find that, in the real world, it is more costly to express far-right preferences than other political preferences.
osf.io/preprints/os...
1/8
Using a field experiment, we find that, in the real world, it is more costly to express far-right preferences than other political preferences.
osf.io/preprints/os...
1/8
May 9, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I am very excited to share a new working paper coauthored with @amaliaab.bsky.social.
Using a field experiment, we find that, in the real world, it is more costly to express far-right preferences than other political preferences.
osf.io/preprints/os...
1/8
Using a field experiment, we find that, in the real world, it is more costly to express far-right preferences than other political preferences.
osf.io/preprints/os...
1/8
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of presenting my project 'Castles of Illiberal Thought and Mercenary Thinkers' at re:constitution in a fellow's talk. Thanks go to @cohelongo.bsky.social, who did an amazing job moderating the session, and @gszd.bsky.social, who gave insightful comments.
May 9, 2025 at 10:52 AM
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of presenting my project 'Castles of Illiberal Thought and Mercenary Thinkers' at re:constitution in a fellow's talk. Thanks go to @cohelongo.bsky.social, who did an amazing job moderating the session, and @gszd.bsky.social, who gave insightful comments.