12/12/2025 - Twin Book Launch - Roundtable with Contributors

Twin Book Launch and Roundtable with contributors

Registration required

This contributors roundtable is hosted by RED-SPINEL and the Institut d'études européennes (IEE) of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) near several EU institutions, at the Résidence Palace - International Press Center (Rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Bruxelles), the roundtable is open yet registration is required.

The roundtable will present two publications presenting a practitioners' point of view of contemporary dissensus over liberal democracy. Both publications are interview-based edited volumes given the floor to both judges and civil society actors engaged in the contemporary struggles surrounding democracy across Europe.

Through in-depth interviews with Judges, academics, intellectuals, artists, human rights activists, journalists, representatives of international organizations, and political and social actors, both books shed new light on the current state of liberal democracy across various policy domains and countries. It illustrates the struggles and strategies of those facing democratic dissent while offering innovative pathways to reinvigorate liberal democracy for the 21st century.

Entitled "Dissensus over Liberal Democracy - Insights from European Judges", the first book to be presented is published with Bloomsbury Publication explores what judges do and how they perceive their roles in the context of growing dissensus over liberal democracy. Focusing on the European landscape, it asks eighteen judges how they perceive their roles when judicial independence and democracy are under pressure. The book features interviews with judges from various EU and non-EU Member States and courts, complemented by a series of academic commentaries discussing the relationship between law and politics in times of dissensus over liberal democracy. Each narrative reveals unique personal experiences and reflections, shedding light on the role of the judiciary and the rule of law in the face of contemporary challenges. While the book engages with these issues through European narratives, its findings contribute to broader debates beyond Europe and the EU.

Entitled "Dissensus over Liberal Democracy - Key Conversations with Leading Voice", the second book to be discussed is to be published with Springer and highlights pressing challenges confronting liberal democracy and the rule of law by presenting a series of compelling narratives from individuals who experience the expression of dissensus over liberal democracy in their professional lives. By exploring diverse perspectives on democracy and contrasting visions for its future, the book offers a nuanced understanding of the dissensus surrounding liberal democracy today.