This work investigates the legal and institutional mechanisms available to the European Union to address the rise of illiberal governance within its member states. The authors, András Jakab and Lando Kirchmair, utilize a framework of constitutional law and comparative political analysis to evaluate the efficacy of current EU enforcement tools. They argue that the Union must refine its legal strategies to protect democratic standards without overstepping its jurisdictional boundaries or triggering political backlash.

Legal scholars and political scientists identify this text as a rigorous examination of the intersection between EU law and domestic democratic backsliding. Experts frequently note the technical density of the prose, making it a primary resource for practitioners and academics focused on European institutional reform.