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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦
@profpech.bsky.social
5.9K followers 1.3K following 1K posts

Professor of Law, Dean of @ucdschooloflaw.bsky.social, Senior Research Fellow at the CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest, and co-director of @goodlobbyprofs.bsky.social. Usual disclaimers.

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Political science 77%
Law 13%
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 41m
💪

Some EAW litigation could also now seek to rely on ECJ recent confirmation that the “orders” and “judgements” of fake PiS “judges” sitting on courts of last resort must be held null and void. This could also lead to new questions for the ECJ
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 51m
As some of us argued, it was a mistake to unlock EU funding/close Art 7 primarily on basis of legislative commitments. Broader point: you cannot restore the rule of law post backsliding by adopting a rule of law approach which ignores eg how EU/ECHR legal obligations work but this is no easy task
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 1h
This latest scandal also brings to the fore Von der Leyen's lack of judgment; her repeated failure to sanction rogue behaviour and violations of Commission's code of conduct in addition to her contempt for the European Parliament
www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/docume...
cc @alemanno.bsky.social
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 1h
Varhelyi has repeatedly acted in breach of relevant EU rules with Von der Leyen repeatedly ignoring his rogue behaviour as well as ignoring the European Parliament's request in *2023* to investigate Varhelyi when he was busy doctoring rule of law assessments to please Orban's autocratic buddies...
alemanno.bsky.social
Alberto Alemanno @alemanno.bsky.social · 1h
What can the EU do NOW to address the Varhelyi’s affair:

1. Von der Leyen can compel resignation
2. Refer to CJEU for compulsory retirement (precedent: Cresson case)
3. Leave post UNFILLED until 2029—deny Hungary replacement
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Reposted by Laurent Pech

alemanno.bsky.social
Alberto Alemanno @alemanno.bsky.social · 1h
What can the EU do NOW to address the Varhelyi’s affair:

1. Von der Leyen can compel resignation
2. Refer to CJEU for compulsory retirement (precedent: Cresson case)
3. Leave post UNFILLED until 2029—deny Hungary replacement
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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, Melissa Johnson , and 12 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h
Amy Coney Barrett defends heavy use of the shadow docket: "If we wrote a long opinion, it might give the impression that we have finally resolved the issue, and in none of these cases have we finally resolved the issue."
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Reposted by Laurent Pech

anntelnaes.bsky.social
Ann Telnaes @anntelnaes.bsky.social · 16h
This is Trump's America

anntelnaes.substack.com/p/shot-in-th...
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Reposted by John L. Cotter, Laurent Pech, David R. Miller , and 1 more

nicholasgrossman.bsky.social
Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 20h
No institutional design can overcome a lawbreaking president, a Congress defending lawbreaking and forfeiting its own power, a Supreme Court that pretends legal text doesn’t count to facilitate lawbreaking, and a citizenry that votes for all that.
Need at least one that wants rule of law. Maybe two.
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 1d
Autocracy in America (HE dimension): "Erwin Chemerinsky, who occupies the normally staid position of dean of the University of California, Berkeley’s law school, referred to it as “extortion, plain and simple""

www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?sto...
HE leaders brand Trump’s compact for HE as ‘extortion’
The Trump administration’s compact offered to nine elite US universities has provoked alarm among higher education leaders. It demands surrender of ...
www.universityworldnews.com
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 1d
"In this moment of democratic retreat, Ireland can no longer assume it will passively benefit from the prevailing international order. Instead, it must defend its liberal principles while strengthening ties to like-minded democracies. It must also keep investing in its own civic institutions ..."
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 1d
"What is curious is that the authoritarian resurgence has grown and now thrives in a global context shaped by the West ... Part of the answer is that authoritarian states learned to survive and then repurpose global interconnectedness."
alexdukalskis.bsky.social
Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 3d
In the @irishexaminer.bsky.social today @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social I map out the global authoritarian resurgence and what it means for Ireland
Authoritarian states have powerful reach — even in Ireland
The return to authoritarianism worldwide — not least in the US — will have ramifications for internationally-linked universities and corporations here, write Alexander Dukalskis and Alexander Cooley
www.irishexaminer.com
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Reposted by Laurent Pech

thebarcouncil.bsky.social
The Bar Council @thebarcouncil.bsky.social · 1d
The Bars, Faculty and Law Societies in the UK have come together and accused politicians of "irresponsible and dangerous" language that is putting lawyers at risk.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Lawyers warn of death threats after Reform and Tories' 'two-tier' claims
In an unprecedented intervention, six legal bodies, representing 250,000 lawyers, expressed “grave concern” over the language being used toward legal professionals
www.mirror.co.uk
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Reposted by Joshua Goodman, Jonathan Hopkin, Laurent Pech , and 2 more

kevincarey1.bsky.social
Kevin Carey @kevincarey1.bsky.social · 1d
It's clearer by the day that Columbia making a deal with Trump in July was a catastrophe for higher education as a whole. It gave terrible people a bottomless appetite for extortion. The other eight universities must follow MIT's lead.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...
M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Patrick Dunleavy, Scott L. Greer , and 8 more

leahlitman.bsky.social
Leah Litman @leahlitman.bsky.social · 1d
More judges speak to the press (the NYT) about what a disaster the Supreme Court (specifically the shadow docket) has been - “incredibly demoralizing & troubling”; a “judicial crisis”; a “slap in the face to district courts.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Excerpts Excerpts
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 2d
Merci David & safe travels today
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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Michael A. Clemens, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 12 more

walterolson.bsky.social
Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 2d
New from me at Cato: I go through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talk about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what I describe as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."
Universities Must Defend Their Independence by Rejecting Trump's "Compact"
The Trump administration has proffered a “compact” to universities that would require them to surrender their independence and academic freedom. How many First Amendment violations can we identify in ...
www.cato.org
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Reposted by Laurent Pech, Adrian Daub, Kate Starbird , and 2 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
Bondi: "We've been living through a horrific cycle of political violence in this country ... night after night antifa wrecks havoc on the streets of our cities. In Minnesota, a gunman murdered a state lawmaker and her husband."
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Reposted by Safiya U. Noble, Christian Odendahl, Laurent Pech , and 4 more

fishkin.bsky.social
Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 2d
@mit.edu has done an incredibly important service to the nation by being willing to be the first school to reject the administration's "compact."

President Kornbluth focuses—and she's right—on the principle that "scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone."
The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
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Reposted by Laurent Pech, Ben Tonra

davidfarrell-ucd.bsky.social
Prof David Farrell, UCD @davidfarrell-ucd.bsky.social · 2d
Superb presentation by my @ucddublin.bsky.social @ucdschooloflaw.bsky.social colleague @profpech.bsky.social on the threats posed by democratic backsliding to the international rule of law
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Reposted by Laurent Pech

kimlanelaw.bsky.social
Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 3d
And yes, the Hungarian government was spying on European institutions . . .
www.direkt36.hu/en/sulyos-ug...
Inside the Fall of Viktor Orbán’s Secret Brussels Spy Network - Direkt36
In the 2010s, Hungarian intelligence began spying in Brussels against the EU and tried to recruit Hungarians working in EU institutions for this purpose. However, Hungarian intelligence carried it out...
www.direkt36.hu
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Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Kimberly A. Prather, Steve Peers , and 10 more

newyorkstateag.bsky.social
New York Attorney General Letitia James @newyorkstateag.bsky.social · 3d
This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..
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Reposted by Laurent Pech, Nathan P. Kalmoe

annabower.bsky.social
Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d
The indictment may relate to mortgage documents James co-signed to help her niece secure a loan for a property in Virginia.

This @mollyroberts.bsky.social piece explains why it appears to be a pathetically weak case.

(Fixed the link, sorry!) ⬇️

www.lawfaremedia.org/article/next...
Courts & Litigation Criminal Justice & the Rule of Law Next Up: Letitia James Molly Roberts Monday, October 6, 2025, 9:59 AM Share On: f X in $ 6 B It's hard to imagine a worse case than the one against James Comey-until you see the one against the attorney general of New York.
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Reposted by Pamela Samuelson, Laurent Pech

leahlitman.bsky.social
Leah Litman @leahlitman.bsky.social · 3d
From the Supreme Court opinion granting Trump immunity:

"Investigative & prosecutorial decisionmaking is the special province of the Executive ... allegations that the requested investigations were shams or proposed for an improper purpose do not divest the President of [his] exclusive authority"
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 3d
Reminder: "Hungary also faced EU scrutiny after Belgian and Hungarian media reported late last year that its intelligence agency had spied on EU officials visiting the country in 2015-2017"

www.politico.eu/article/lawm...
Anti-spying phone pouches offered to EU lawmakers for trip to Hungary
Budapest has faced EU scrutiny over the use of spyware against the opposition and civil society in past years.
www.politico.eu
1

profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 3d
After seemingly overseeing spying on the Commission from the outside, Orban's Commissioner has since been able to undermine the Commission from within repeatedly by eg attempting to doctor rule of law reports but VDL has repeatedly failed to hold him to account www.koha.mk/en/pas-dyshi...
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 3d
US university professor teaching a course on *anti-fascism* forced to flee to Spain with his wife and two children to escape death treats following harassment campaign by "Turning Point USA". Brought to you by self-appointed "free speech" champions #FascismInAmerica

www.aaup.org/issues-highe...
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Reposted by Alexander Cooley, Laurent Pech

alexdukalskis.bsky.social
Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 3d
In the @irishexaminer.bsky.social today @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social I map out the global authoritarian resurgence and what it means for Ireland
Authoritarian states have powerful reach — even in Ireland
The return to authoritarianism worldwide — not least in the US — will have ramifications for internationally-linked universities and corporations here, write Alexander Dukalskis and Alexander Cooley
www.irishexaminer.com
5 6

Reposted by Laurent Pech

szabolcspanyi.bsky.social
Szabolcs Panyi @szabolcspanyi.bsky.social · 3d
💥🔎NEW INVESTIGATION: We reveal how, under now-Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, Hungarian intelligence spied in Brussels against the EU, attempting to recruit Hungarians working in EU institutions.

@direkt36.bsky.social @papertrailmedia.de @spiegel.de @tijd.be @larsbove.bsky.social @hmnzngr.bsky.social
Inside the Fall of Viktor Orbán’s Secret Brussels Spy Network - Direkt36
In the 2010s, Hungarian intelligence began spying in Brussels against the EU and tried to recruit Hungarians working in EU institutions for this purpose. However, Hungarian intelligence carried it out...
www.direkt36.hu
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Reposted by Laurent Pech, Robert C. Richards

hillaryclinton.bsky.social
Hillary Rodham Clinton @hillaryclinton.bsky.social · 4d
Children around the world have died because Trump and Musk needlessly destroyed USAID. These are some of their stories.

apnews.com/article/myan...
AP: Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar
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profpech.bsky.social
Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 4d
& here is another instance of NYT sanewashing Trump’s authoritarianism and manifest unconstitutional/illegal motives/actions
stevelevitsky.bsky.social
stevelevitsky.bsky.social @stevelevitsky.bsky.social · 4d
They are not Trump's enemies. They are critics and opponents. He sees them as enemies, because that's how autocrats perceive their critics. NYT should not repeat and normalize authoritarian discourse.

How Trump Is Using the Justice Department to Target His Enemies www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How Trump Is Using the Justice Department to Target His Enemies
President Trump has long spoken of seeking vengeance against his political enemies. Here’s a list of whom he is targeting.
www.nytimes.com
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