The EU Social Contract in Uncertain Times: Protecting the Rule of Law and Democracy Post-Pandemic
On Thursday, 4 December 2025, the Dublin European Law Institute (DELI) will host the event 'The EU Social Contract in Uncertain Times: Protecting the Rule of Law and Democracy Post-Pandemic' as part of our Horizon Europe EXPRESS2 project, which endeavours to create a more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable social contract in Europe.
The event will explore the future of the European Union’s foundational values amid a rapidly changing political and social landscape. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about the resilience of democracy, the strength of the rule of law, and the evolution of the EU’s social contract have become central to European policy debates. The forum will examine how the EU can uphold the values of the rule of law and democracy in the face of rising populism, political discontent, and a shifting geopolitical landscape, as well as what reforms may be necessary to draft a new, more resilient social contract for the future of Europe.
The event will feature a keynote address by the Hon. Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, Judge of the Irish Supreme Court, where he will discuss the impact of recent Court of Justice of the European Union jurisprudence on protecting EU core values from an Irish perspective. Alongside this keynote, a panel of experts will discuss their most recent scholarship on European rule of law and democracy matters.
Programme:
Welcome: Dr. Tanya Ní Mhuirthile, Head of School, School of Law and Government at Dublin City University
Chair: Dr Beatrice Monciunskaite, Assistant Professor of European Law at Dublin City University
Keynote Speaker: Hon. Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan, Judge of the Irish Supreme Court
Panellists:
- Prof Sacha Garben, Permanent Professor of European law at the Legal Studies Department of the College of Europe
- Prof Antoni Abat i Ninet, Distinguished Researcher at the Institut d'Estudis Europeus (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
- Dr Niels Kirst, Assistant Professor of European Law at Dublin City University