Discussions about the situation in Hungary are often centered on the effectiveness of any possible action. However, we rarely evaluate the correct course of action in terms of values. In this episode, we ask: what should the EU do? 

Vlad Makszimov interviews Antoinette Scherz about democratic backsliding in Hungary to find out what is normatively the right choice — suspension, expulsion, or something else?

This episode is part of a mini-series on Hungary.

Relevant literature:

Antoinette Scherz (2024), How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding? A normative assessment of expulsion and suspension of voting rights from the perspective of multilateral democracy

Tom Theuns (2022), The Need for an EU Expulsion Mechanism: Democratic Backsliding and the Failure of Article 7

Vlad Makszimov (2025), ARENA Policy Brief: Safeguarding EU values in Hungary: Navigating next steps amid increasing repression