The European Commission is to launch a series of animated shorts by illustrator Niemann for a new awareness-raising campaign on the rule of law.
This Thursday, the European Commission is launching an information campaign on social media to raise public awareness about the rule of law and its impact on issues such as the separation of powers, equality before the law and abuse of power.
Through short animations created by illustrator Christoph Niemann, the Commission will seek to raise awareness among citizens of the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) about the six fundamental principles that define the rule of law: equality before the law, legal certainty, prohibition of abuse of power, independent courts, legality and separation of powers.
A Eurobarometer survey conducted between April and May indicated that, in portugalA large majority (91%) of citizens consider it essential or important that all Member States respect the fundamental values of the EU, including the rule of law, but theOnly 40% feel well informed on this topic.
“The rule of law is often seen as a distant and grandiose concept that is difficult for many people to understand. Even though 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,” said European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders on the initiative.
The European Commission, he added, wants to “help everyone understand what the rule of law means, to what extent it is present in everyday life.” [dos cidadãos] and why it is important to avoid inequalities and injustices.”
Niemann’s animations draw an analogy with the world of sport, illustrating the impact of disrespecting the rule of law. “I wanted to visualize the rule of law by comparing it to something we know from everyday life: the rules of sport. Playing football, competing on an athletics track or playing billiards – all of this is only possible if we agree on consistent and fair rules and boundaries. In my animations I playfully imagined what would happen if we did away with the rules,” said the German illustrator, whose work regularly appears on the cover of magazines such as The New Yorker, National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine.
The artist stated that he intended “to demonstrate that the protection of the rule of law creates a fair and predictable framework in which society can thrive”.
The animations will be shared on social media in all 27 EU Member States for four weeks.
Source: Observadora
