As Germans prepare to vote for their federal parliament on 26 September, the rule of law has been largely absent from the public debate. This doesn’t mean that the topic isn’t directly relevant to Germany, both in terms of internal challenges and for the country’s standing in the European Union. An issue raised previously by European institutions became a campaign problem: the independence of prosecutors and the government’s ability to instruct them. Moreover, Germany’s position towards Hungary and Poland, two countries where the rule of law is under constant attack, carries great weight across the EU. However, the broader European context of Germany’s role has also not appeared in the public debate. What challenges lay in wait when it comes to the rule of law in Germany? How will a change in the political landscape in Germany impact these issues?
