Dr. Berit Ebert publishes article "The resilience of the European Union’s values" in the Eastern Journal of European Studies

Dr. Berit Ebert has published a new article in the Eastern Journal for European Studies titled "The resilience of the European Union’s values." It examines the resilience of European Union values in the face of democratic backsliding, with a particular focus on gender equality and the rule of law.

Using Poland under the Law and Justice (PiS) government (2015–2023) as a case study, the article explores how structural conditions and social norms shape the ability of gender equality concerns to reach and influence EU institutions. By analysing gender representation and policy outcomes in Poland’s 2018 local elections, the study highlights the crucial role of subnational dynamics and their bottom-up translatability to the European level.

The article further examines how national provisions affect the resilience of EU values, showing that effective protection of gender equality and the rule of law depends not only on EU mechanisms but also on domestic conditions. In this context, the roles of the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Union are analyzed as key actors supporting gender equality and democratic standards through top-down approaches that interact with local and national dissent.

Overall, the publication underscores Member States’ responsibility to create environments in which gender dissidence can flourish. It argues that promoting educational diversity and developing inclusive legal frameworks at local, regional, and national levels are essential for challenging traditional gender norms and strengthening democratic resilience across the EU.

Read the article here.

Post Date: 01-14-2026