Abstract
The enlargement of the European Union has been widely seen as a means of consolidating democracy. The handling of the Austrian question in 2000 gave an initial sign that this expectation may have been an illusion. But the European response to the participation of Jörg Haider's far-right party in the Austrian government was considered a failure. Since then, democracy - and not just the rule of law - has been seriously undermined in Hungary and Poland. Why has the EU generally failed to meet these challenges ? Is it a question of legal instruments or a lack of political will ? How can we analyze this failure ? This third conference offers a historical, political and legal analysis of these issues.
