Reconciling Europe with its Citizens through Democracy and Rule of Law (RECONNEC












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            2018-2022

            Coordinator of Charles University participation: Paul Blokker
            Investigator at CESES: Martin Potůček


            European Commission programme Horizon 2020 project coordinated from KU Leuven.
            RECONNECT starts from the observation that the European Union (EU) and the Member States a
            with an existential crisis of the entire European project. As a result of several successi

            increasingly large share of the population perceives the EU as an undemocratic and unjust 
            Overall trust in institutions at both Union and Member State levels is waning, while ever 

            a repatriation of powers to the national level are shaking the EU to its core. Against thi
            underlying assumption is that the deeply diverse and pluralistic Union of today needs to b
            rooted in justice and solidarity in order to be sustainable. With a unique multidisciplina

            of researchers, we analyse the existential challenges to the EU’s authority and legitimacy
            comprehensive examination of principles, practices, and perceptions of democracy and the r
            in the EU. Our end-user approach enables us to point to how democratic and rule of law pri

            practices of institutions resonate with the actual aspirations, perceptions and preference
            Our ultimate objective is to contribute to a new comprehensive narrative for Europe that “
            European governance with citizens. By means of an effective impact and dissemination strat

            tailor-made policy recommendations and proposals for Treaty changes, RECONNECT will streng
            normative foundations.