Globalisation & Law Network seminar with Rachel Griffin

The growing far-right movements and their normalisation in Europe present serious concerns for the rule of law and democracy. The term ‘neo-illiberalism’, coined by the Dutch political scientist Reijer Hendrikse, captures the combination of market-oriented mechanisms with illiberal policies. Drawing on the theory of neo-illiberalism, Rachel skillfully exposed the pitfalls of EU platform regulation, particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA). She criticised the lack of awareness of ongoing political-economic shifts within digital rights scholarship and suggested viewing the DSA as a ‘neo-illiberal’ project that legitimises platform power while enabling state censorship. In concluding her talk, Rachel reflected on the future of EU law addressing various aspects of digitalisation in an increasingly plausible ‘far-right Europe.

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