On the Recent Challenges to Human Rights in Europe
Europe has led the world in the development of a human rights system that gives individuals the ability to challenge arbitrary, invasive, or discriminatory national laws.
But over the last decade, Europe’s commitment to rights has been increasingly challenged, from attacks on the European Court of Human Rights in the United Kingdom to the rise of “illiberal” democracy in Hungary and Poland to the emergence of xenophobic nationalism fueled by popular anxieties over migration and economic security.
In a recent conversation, Michael O’Flaherty, director of the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency, and Felice Gaer of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights talked about the challenges facing human rights in Europe today, with a particular focus on the response and role of civil society.
Listen above.