European Commission launches EU-wide information campaign on rule of law

The European Commission has launched a social media campaign on the rule of law. Through this communication campaign, the Commission aims to bring the idea of the rule of law closer to EU citizens and to raise awareness of its impact on people’s everyday lives. The campaign will focus on the six core principles defining the rule of law through animations by renowned artist and illustrator Christoph Niemann.

The objective of this EU-wide campaign is to bring the abstract concept of the rule of law closer to EU citizens and highlight its tangible influence on their daily lives.

The campaign will focus on the six core principles defining the rule of law: equality before the law, legal certainty, the prohibition of arbitrariness, judicial independence, legality and separation of powers. 

Malta: citizens hold rule of law in high regard

The need for this communication campaign is clear: while citizens throughout the EU value the rule of law, they may wish to be better informed about what the concept actually means in practice.

In Malta, a large majority (90%) of people consider it essential or important that all EU Member States respect the core values of the EU, including the rule of law. In comparison, results show 62% feel well-informed about the rule of law.

Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, said: “The rule of law is often viewed as a distant, lofty concept that for many people is hard to comprehend. While it defines who we are and what unites us as Europeans, we tend to think about the rule of law only when something goes wrong. This campaign aims to help everyone understand what the rule of law means, how much we rely on it on a daily basis, and why it is important to prevent unfairness and injustice. Inspired by the world of sports, the wonderful animations by Christoph Niemann allow everyone to relate to the principles of the rule of law.”

The concept of the animations

To make these abstract principles more relatable, German artist and illustrator Christoph Niemann, whose work regularly appears on the covers of The New Yorker, National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine, created six simple but powerful animated videos to inform citizens about the rule of law through storytelling and by using sports as a metaphor.

“I wanted to visualise the rule of law, by comparing it to something we know from everyday life: the rules in sports. Playing football, competing on a racetrack or playing a round of pool – all this is only possible if we have agreed on consistent and fair rules and boundaries. In my animations I‘ve playfully imagined what would happen if you took away the rules. I wanted to show that protecting the rule of law creates a fair and predictable framework in which society can thrive”, explained Niemann.

The series of animations will be disseminated on social media in all 27 EU Member States for a duration of four weeks.