The rule of law is a fundamental value of the European Union and its Member States. However, in the 21st century, illiberal political parties have risen to power in some EU Member States, or parties that advocate an illiberal political ideology that often conflicts with the rule of law. Parties stand for election with political programmes which, in the form of public policy proposals, reflect the political ideology advocated by a particular party. Based on a critical reading of the programmes of the most prominent illiberal political parties in Hungary and Poland, the master's thesis concludes that the provisions of political programmes in Poland conflict with the rule of law. In relation to Hungary, the thesis concludes that, despite the implementation of public policies that violate the rule of law, the absence of detailed provisions means that the political programme does not reflect illiberalism's negative attitude towards the rule of law. The European Union has responded to the rise of illiberalism by introducing various legal and political instruments that seek to prevent the degradation of the rule of law in EU Member States. The master's thesis therefore also examines the instrument introduced by Regulation (EU) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 and concludes, on the basis of its application, that it is the only effective, newly introduced, stand-alone instrument to date for the protection of the rule of law in individual EU Member States.
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