Articles for category: AAA General

Power, Profit, and Washington’s Paradox

The Trump administration has been accused of corruptly placing private financial benefit above the public interest, most recently in President Trump’s acceptance of the gift of a Boeing 747 from Qatar for his use as Air Force 1, and invitations to dinner at a private club and to a private White House tour, offered as perks for those who invested substantial sums in his Stablecoin. Although, here, the President’s self-enrichment is blatant, more troubling are his policies aimed at dismantling safeguards against corruption at home and abroad. These reveal a deep contradiction in the warring goals of those currently governing in Washington; a contradiction that may eventually burst into the open.

12. Juni 2025

, , , ,

(Schl)echter Schutz vulnerabler Gruppen?

Frauen und Mädchen machen einen hohen Anteil (S. 3 ff.) unter vulnerablen geflüchteten Personen aus, etwa weil sie allein reisen, alleinerziehend sind, psychisch oder physisch beeinträchtigt oder von Gewalt oder sexueller Ausbeutung betroffen sind. Das reformierte Gemeinsame Europäische Asylsystem (GEAS) sieht erstmals verbindliche Regelungen zur Überprüfung besonderer Schutzbedarfe vulnerabler Geflüchteter während des gesamten Asylverfahrens vor. Das ist zunächst ein großer Schritt nach vorne, jedenfalls die angemessene Umsetzung scheint aber zweifelhaft. Schon die Ampelregierung hielt im Referentenentwurf aus dem Oktober 2024 ihr Versprechen, Kinder und Familien von Verfahren an den (Außen-)Grenzen ausnehmen zu wollen, nicht ein. Bereits ein flüchtiger Blick in ... continue reading

11. Juni 2025

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

On 5 June 2025, Advocate General Ćapeta issued her Opinion in Commission v. Hungary, a landmark ECJ case on Hungary’s “anti-LGBTIQ” law. While the law is overtly discriminatory, the Commission framed its case around internal market rules, Charter rights, and Article 2 TEU values. While this might seem curious, I argue this reflects a strategic “camouflaging” of non-discrimination claims to better protect LGBTIQ rights within the limits of current EU anti-discrimination and equality law.

11. Juni 2025

, , , , , ,

Anatomy of a Liberal Fall

In Poland, just one week ago, Karol Nawrocki – a virtually unknown, PiS-backed candidate with a murky past – surprisingly defeated Rafał Trzaskowski, deputy leader of the centrist Civic Platform and mayor of Warsaw. How could such a random figure triumph over an experienced and popular politician? In this commentary, I argue that Trzaskowski’s defeat was no accident, but the latest chapter in a longer political story – one shaped by public frustration, broken promises, the emptiness of Polish liberalism, and anti-elitist sentiment present in the society.

11. Juni 2025

, , , , , ,

What Nawrocki’s Victory Means for Europe

On June 1st, Polish voters rendered a fateful decision in the presidential election. Karol Nawrocki narrowly defeated Rafał Trzaskowski, the pro-European mayor of Warsaw. Nawrocki’s victory carries profound implications for Poland’s domestic trajectory. Moreover, despite what some commentators have argued, the new president might also well pose a threat for the European Union.

10. Juni 2025

, , ,

From Dialogue to Discord

Advocate General Ćapeta delivered her Opinion regarding a violation of Article 2 TEU, which lies at the heart of the pending case before the CJEU – a case that bears, quite appropriately, the name “Valeurs de l’Union”. Her opinion is likely to cause a stir. Even though this is not the final judgment, it is unprecedented for Article 2 TEU to be declared justiciable and found to have been infringed.

10. Juni 2025

, , ,

U.S. Sanctions on the International Criminal Court

Since the negotiation of the Rome Statute, U.S. relations with the Court have zig-zagged between quiet support and open hostility. With President Trump’s return to office, we are back to confrontation. On June 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made sanction designations of four ICC judges – two of whom authorized the investigation into Afghanistan and two of whom approved the Netanyahu and Gallant arrest warrants. This post describes these developments and situates them within the broader context of U.S.-ICC relations.

7. Juni 2025

, , , , ,

Migrant »Instrumentalisation« before the ICJ

On 19 May, Lithuania introduced proceedings against Belarus before the International Court of Justice for the alleged smuggling of migrants. Lithuania claims that Belarus violated provisions of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, which supplements the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. This blog will detail several difficulties with Lithuania’s argument which seeks to collapse key differences between migrant smuggling and the practice of migrant “instrumentalisation”.

6. Juni 2025

, , , ,