A Citizen’s Guide to the Rule of Law. Kalypso Nicolaidis
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ibidem-Press, Stuttgart
Table of Contents
Foreword: It’s the Rule of Law, Stupid!
Chapter 1. Saving the Rule of Law
Ask not (only) what it can do for you…
…also ask what you can do for the Rule of Law!
Chapter 2. When rule of law meets EU accession
The Twin Imperatives for the Western Balkans
Negotiating accession
What the Rule of Law is and why it matters
Going deep: Love and everyday gestures
“Liberal democracy”—beyond the buzzword
Chapter 3. Rule of Law Promotion, EU-style
Enlargement postponed or when Jean-Claude killed the mood
Reviving the relationship: the EU enlargement strategy
On the importance of being lawful
Recognise the problem and commit to solving it
Why elites don’t like the rule of law
“Do as I say, not as I do”—Intra-EU problems with the rule of law
A gospel with no sinners
Chapter 4. The Fundamental Dilemma of EU Rule of Law Promotion
Achieving Sustainability or Why Inconsistency Ruins Progress
Why consistency matters—and why it’s hard to achieve sometimes
Promoting rule of law in the accession process
When the EU assesses the rule of law
Why rule of law promotion is more than the sum of its parts
Problem 1: Too much focus on institutions
Problem 2: Too much focus on political elites and state structures
Problem 3: Too much focus on means rather than ends
Reframing the issue: The rule of law promotion dilemma
The “second generation” of rule of law reform
Towards a better approach for rule of law promotion: the dilemma
Chapter 5. Taking on the rule of law dilemma by being more ambitious
Qui Bono
…to the institutions of justice….
…to politics and power structures…
… to, ultimately, socio-cultural realities
From the laws on the books to law in action
Chapter 6. Taking on the rule of law dilemma by being humbler
Contestability of interpretations