‘Democracy without Politics’ in the European Commission's Response to Democratic Backsliding: From Technocratic Legalism to Democratic Pluralism

The debate on EU responses to democratic backsliding in member states has mostly been anchored technocratic appeals the rule of law and judicial independence, Poland Hungary. In this article, we ask: What understandings democracy have shaped European Commission's response recent years? After developing an understanding pluralist democracy, uncover way which Commission conceives through a discourse analysis Commissioners' speeches (2018–21) normative-theoretical analysis. We identify conception as form ‘democracy without politics’, argue that it matches EU's policy choices regard backsliding. fuller, healthier normatively more attractive encompasses attention political pluralism, agonistic contestation vibrancy civil society.