PhD defence P.M. (Petra) Gyöngyi

Judicial independence and rule-of-law challenges in Central and Eastern European (CEE) states call for reflecting on how CEE states can integrate European rule-of-law values for judicial organisation in their legal framework. At a theoretical level, these developments call for reflecting on what studying these experiences can add to our understanding of balancing rule-of-law and new-public-management values, which underpin the legitimate functioning of judiciaries in liberal-democracies as well as the role of national judges as de-centralized EU judges effectively implementing EU law. The present study addressed these questions through an indepth contextual-comparative analysis of two Central and Eastern European member states exemplifying rule of law challenges of a different nature. Hungary was considered one of the most successful CEE countries in transitioning to liberaldemocracy, which was also reflected in its court organization system. However, since 2010 the Hungarian legal order has undergone a “constitutional backsliding” which put the previously established rule-of-law values at risk. At the same time, Romania was considered one of the persistent “laggards” of the democratic transition process and in anchoring judicial independence. The initial postponement of Romania’s EU accession, along with Bulgaria, as well as on-going EU oversight regarding fields of judicial reforms and fighting corruption through the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism illustrates this position.

The public defence will take place at the Senatehall, 1st floor of the Erasmus Building, Campus Woudestein. The ceremony will begin exactly at 09.30 hrs. In light of the solemn nature of the ceremony, we recommend that you do not take children under the age of 6 to the first part of the ceremony.