FGGA-Onderzoekers Winnen EU Horizon Beurs: €760K

'The rule of law is not a given', say the researchers, who are investigating whether citizens are aware of what the rule of law entails and what it does for them. 'It's similar to being happy or in good health. You only notice it when it's no longer there. The same applies to the rule of law; if it disappears, you can no longer turn to the courts when something goes wrong, or the judge may be bribed. The rule of law is the fundament for every democracy.'

Big international project

This is a major project that will last for three years, with the The Hague researchers working together with seven partners, including two think tanks in North Macedonia and Poland, as well as universities in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, and Italy. It's truly a team effort, stresses Antoaneta Dimitrova, Professor of Comparative Governance. 'In times of budget cuts, we have received funding through the European programmes for research and innovation, and that is also thanks to the ISGA's Research Support Team, especially thanks to the help of Claudia Forero Madero, which has been instrumental in helping us obtain this project.'

Good and bad networks

The project focuses on the rule of law, how citizens experience its effects, and networks within countries. 'Are these networks good for the rule of law or not? A network can be a 'good network' encouraging citizen engagement, organising something in the local community with your neighbours', Antoaneta explains. 'But there can also be bad networks, such as entrepreneurs getting a permit from a friend at the municipality. In return, they offer politicians a party on a yacht. Or think of relatives of a political leader receiving large scale EU funds and projects. That's a family network. Networks can therefore also undermine the rule of law.'

Not easy to research

Both good and bad networks are being investigated. This is not easy, says Antoaneta. 'With good networks, you need to find out who participates in civil society, but bad networks are even more difficult to uncover because no one will readily admit to giving money to someone in their network for gaining funds in public procurement. In this project, we will be collecting large datasets. Our partner from Hungary has datasets that relate to large government contracts. How many companies can bid on a major project, such as the metro in Amsterdam? If it's only one company, then something is wrong.'

Benefits schandal

Another aspect that Antoaneta and Jaroslaw will be focusing on is the citizens. Researcher Jaroslaw Kantorowicz: 'If we find that people do not care much about the rule of law, how can we change this? We want to design information campaigns based on the results of our project. And if we inform people, does this change their attitudes?' Antoaneta adds: 'What makes people start caring about the rule of law? Is it when they see that they could have problems with their passport, business, or, as in a well-known example, the Dutch well known benefits scandal (Toeslagenaffaire)? Or when we show them that the situation in their neighbourhood is deteriorating, with more organized crime activity?'

Strengthen the rule of law and democracy

Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen the rule of law and democracy. The researchers are looking forward to the project, which will start in March 2025. In addition to the results, they see another important outcome of the research: 'You're forming a network in Europe with scientists. You are part of an international community of academics who are debating these issues, which is very important in this day and age.'

Text: Magali van Wieren

Image: Pixabay

Foto: Pixabay