The challenges involved in teaching about the Rule of Law as a fundamental value of the EU system

Abstract

In the face of the ongoing rule of law backsliding developments in the Union, it has become a challenge for educators at EU and non-EU universities who teach about the rule of law as an EU value to fully deliver the rule of law ‘message’ to their students. This chapter will firstly elaborate on the importance of the rule of law as a baseline principle of the EU framework, providing insight into the current state of play regarding the EU’s rule of law issues. Secondly, the analysis will weigh in on the most appropriate methodological approaches to be employed in the university-level instruction covering the fields of EU Law and EU studies more broadly. Thirdly, the chapter will specifically look into the most suitable and most effective methodological tools for teaching the rule of law as an area of study. Lastly, conclusions will be drawn about the ways in which educators can improve the methodological toolkit they utilize when teaching about the rule of law as an EU value as well as a general concept, such that would allow students to internalize their knowledge of the different components of the rule of law and, as a result, be prepared to successfully apply this knowledge to practical, real-world situations.