Antoinette Scherz

In 2025 @chrishillion.bsky.social, @ascherz.bsky.social & I proposed a theory of "democratic frontsliding" & "restorative disobedience" to confront recalcitrant "autocratic enclaves" & restore democracies that backslid. Poland is our key case. Read/share our new/improved paper! tinyurl.com/mrx7kep9

What should the EU do about #Hungary? 🇪🇺🇭🇺

New ARENA Europa podcast ep. is out!

We often ask what’s feasible instead of what’s right when it comes to #RoL enforcement in the #EU. @vmakszimov.bsky.social asked me about what “the right thing” might be.

🔗 Listen here: open.spotify.com/show/2lyLtQi...

Authority, Authoritarianism, and Political Theory General Conference 2026, 8 – 11 September, Jagiellonian University, Kraków

📣 Call for #ecprgc26 Panels & Papers
🏛️ Authority, Authoritarianism, and Political Theory
🪑 @tlechtable.bsky.social & @ascherz.bsky.social
⌛ Deadline: 5 Jan buff.ly/sOfsXUu

#PoliSky #CallforPapers #Democracy

The European Union’s responsibility to protect refugees What are the responsibilities of the EU in the context of asylum? This paper distinguishes between two possible different answers to this question. A first answer understands the responsibilities o...

7. Amighetti, S., & Harb, S. (2025). The European Union’s responsibility to protect refugees. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 1–24. doi.org/10.1080/1369...

What makes international institutions legitimate to citizens of non-democratic states? There is limited research on international legitimacy from the perspective of ordinary citizens in non-democratic states. These citizens have restricted opportunities for political participation an...

5. Do, H. (2025). What makes international institutions legitimate to citizens of non-democratic states? doi.org/10.1080/1369...
6. Beckman, L. (2025). Legitimacy at sea. Authority and extraterritorial border controls. doi.org/10.1080/1369...

Legitimate authority, institutional specialisation and distributive international law How should international law’s role in determining international distributive outcomes, economic and otherwise, affect how we think about its legitimate authority? Domestic institutions’ legitimate...

3. Suttle, O. (2025). Legitimate authority, institutional specialisation and distributive international law. doi.org/10.1080/1369...
4. Hassoun, N. (2025). Legitimate distribution without legislation. 1–29. doi.org/10.1080/1369...

Legitimate international authority and institutional diversity While international institutions are a frequent and increasing focus of political challenge and critique, evaluating their normative legitimacy raises novel theoretical challenges. International in...

List of papers:
1. Scherz, A., & Suttle, O. (2025). Legitimate international authority and institutional diversity. doi.org/10.1080/1369...
2. Adams, N. P. (2025). Legitimacy, institutional functions, and the state system. doi.org/10.1080/1369...

Other great contributions explore legitimacy and democracy across international law, global justice, and migration — from @npadams.prof, Nicole Hassoun, @hongdp.bsky.social, @beckmanprof.bsky.social, @saramichetta.bsky.social & Siba Harb, and @oisinsuttle.bsky.social

Climate scientists as trustees in public reason: the legitimacy of political institutions amid non-epistemic values Addressing global challenges like climate change requires both national action and international collaboration. However, it remains unclear under what conditions international institutions, such as...

My paper with @lgarciaportela.bsky.social asks how climate science fits into this picture.
We argue that climate scientists act as trustees in systems of public reason — balancing expertise with democratic accountability in climate governance. 🌍
👉 doi.org/10.1080/1369...

New special issue out! 🎉
“Legitimate International Authority and Institutional Diversity” — edited by @oisinsuttle.bsky.social & me in Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy.
How can we judge the legitimacy of diverse international institutions?
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/1369...

Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN inquiry Commission’s 72-page legal analysis cites examples including scale of killings, aid blockages and forced displacement * Middle East crisis – live updates A UN commission of inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had incited these acts. It cited examples of the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a fertility clinic to back up its genocide finding, adding its voice to rights groups and others that have reached the same conclusion. Continue reading...

Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN inquiry

How can:
-we build resilience in times of overburdening threats
-we re-imagine what democracy & the rule of law look like in turbulent times
-the EU adapt to emerge stronger?

At the European #RuleofLaw Conference 2025, our opening panel brings together voices from journalism, academia & practice⬇️

🗳️ Restoring democracy after years of erosion is hard work 🇪🇺

In a new IGCC blogpost, @chrishillion.bsky.social , @tommasopavone.bsky.social & I argue that "frontsliding" may require restorative disobedience—proportionate defiance of entrenched illiberal structures.

👉 ucigcc.org/blog/poland-...

Check out JEPP's collection on EU responses to democratic backsliding, bringing to together some of newest research on the topic!
Including one of my papers about what the EU should do

AG Ćapeta recently explained why Frontex may be held liable for fundamental rights violations that occur during joint return operations.

LAURA SALZANO on this latest development in the applicants’ quest for accountability in WS v Frontex.

verfassungsblog.de/we-were-just...

New paper w/ @chrishillion.bsky.social & @tommasopavone.bsky.social
What does it take not just to defend democracy—but to rebuild it?
Developing the concepts of democratic frontsliding and restorative disobedience we analyze how liberal democracy can be restored: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Presenting work on democratic frontsliding at this great AuthLIB workshop in Budapest. Thank you for the very helpful discussion!

Our "Defending Liberalism" workshop is underway at @ceudeminst.bsky.social

🗨️ What are the normative limits of protecting democracy from illiberal actors? How can we respond to their varieties?

Our agenda: www.authlib.eu/defending-li...

🗣️ @zmiklosi.bsky.social @zsolt.bsky.social & Andres Moles

Follow the Stockholm Center on Global Governance for updates! @scgg-official.bsky.social The center brings together researchers at @stockholm-uni.bsky.social and beyond for events, interdisciplinary research, and policy in global governance. #polisky #Europesky

Suspending Hungarian citizenship for dual nationals, violations of freedom of assembly and the attempt to ban Pride🏳️‍🌈 -- the Orbán government is escalating its efforts to stifle dissent and weaken human rights protections in Hungary🇭🇺.
Our 2 new briefs explain the plans ➡️ helsinki.hu/en/legislati...

The Department of Philosophy at Stockholm University is looking to hire a PhD in practical philosophy: philjobs.org/job/show/28426
Deadline: 31. January
Come and join us in beautiful Stockholm!

How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding? A normative assessment of expulsion and suspension of voting rights from the perspective of multilateral democracy Democratic backsliding in member states, such as Hungary and Poland, poses a significant challenge to the European Union (EU), undermining its core values of democracy, the rule of law, and human r...

🌍 What does this mean for the EU's approach to safeguarding democracy? Read the full paper here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding? A normative assessment of expulsion and suspension of voting rights from the perspective of multilateral democracy Democratic backsliding in member states, such as Hungary and Poland, poses a significant challenge to the European Union (EU), undermining its core values of democracy, the rule of law, and human r...

💡 My analysis reveals that suspension of voting rights is the more democratically preferable option, offering a legitimate way for the EU to uphold its values without undermining its democratic foundations.

How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding? A normative assessment of expulsion and suspension of voting rights from the perspective of multilateral democracy Democratic backsliding in member states, such as Hungary and Poland, poses a significant challenge to the European Union (EU), undermining its core values of democracy, the rule of law, and human r...

🔎 Drawing on the concept of multilateral democracy, I assess key tools at the EU's disposal, focusing the suspension of voting rights in the Council and expulsion of backsliding states.

How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding? A normative assessment of expulsion and suspension of voting rights from the perspective of multilateral democracy Democratic backsliding in member states, such as Hungary and Poland, poses a significant challenge to the European Union (EU), undermining its core values of democracy, the rule of law, and human r...

How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding in its own member states?
📜 In my latest paper, I tackle the pressing challenge of democratic backsliding in EU member states such as Hungary and Poland—an issue that threatens the EU’s core values of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

Last chance to apply for this 2-year postdoc in philosophy at the Stockholm Center on Global Governance! Deadline is the 15. October. See details here:
www.su.se/english/abou...

The proofs are corrected and the first reviews are online. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 is coming!

Very grateful to Paul Magnette, Wojciech Sadurski and Judith Sargentini for their endorsements 🙏

www.hurstpublishers.com/book/protect...