Pola Cebulak, Assistant Professor at the Transnational Legal Studies Department, is a new holder of a Jean Monnet Chair on the theme Judges vs Illiberalism: Legal Mobilization for the Rule of Law (JUDILL). The JUDILL Jean Monnet Chair will support the VU Interdisciplinary Centre for European Studies (VICES) in strengthening teaching and research in European Studies at the VU Amsterdam.
Judges vs Illiberalism
The JUDILL Jean Monnet Chair is supposed to foster teaching and research on the potential of using law as a tool to put a break on illiberal tendencies in Europe. ''Illiberalism is an ideology focused on majoritarian solutions rather than individual and group rights. In its emphasis on culture, it tends to be more nationalist and protectionist. It does not make sense to distinguish between liberal and illiberal countries in Europe. Instead, we should focus on challenging and debating publicly particular reforms that show such illiberal tendencies. Courts can be an important arena for such challenges. When the political process is captured or tends to fail to amplify a diversity of voices, we need to broaden the scope of for a where we can debate about the future of our societies. The JUDILL Chair tries to contribute to those debates by focusing on how judges can become institutional actors that help transform the society.’
Activities
In the period 2023-2026, the Chair’s activities will create a common understanding of strategic litigation using European Union law to counter illiberal reforms among the stakeholders involved. The activities include a law clinic, a seminar series and an EU Career Day. ‘I’m very much looking forward to starting a new law clinic, where students will be able to work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who are using the law to challenge illiberal reforms. The education with clinics allows us to foster not only practical knowledge among our students, but also their social responsibility as citizens.’
Jean Monnet Chair
Jean Monnet Chairs are teaching posts with a specialisation in European Union studies for university professors or senior lecturers. The Jean Monnet Chair is awarded to scholars with an "excellent profile and expertise in EU studies" and with an ambitious agenda for innovative teaching, research and societal impact.