The event, held at UNIE University, brought together representatives from academia, international organisations and human rights experts to examine the challenges facing democracy and the expansion of authoritarianism in Ibero-America and Europe. Carlos Javier El-Hage, Legal and Public Policy Director at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), presented the index's main findings and addressed the situation in Europe.

During the international seminar Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space, Natalija Shikova, Associate Professor of International Public Law at the International Balkan University in Skopje, North Macedonia, presented recent developments in the country, highlighting both democratic advances and setbacks. Her contribution focused on the evolving political and institutional landscape and the challenges faced in consolidating democratic governance.

During the international seminar Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space, Jelica Gordanić, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of International Politics and Economics (IIPE) in Belgrade, examined the concept of fourth-generation human rights. Her presentation focused on emerging rights linked to technological, social, and environmental transformations and their growing relevance within the European legal and political space.

During the international seminar Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space, Barbara Janusz-Pohl from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań examined the Court of Justice of the European Union’s approach to judicial organization. Her presentation analyzed how the Court has interpreted its role in shaping national judicial structures in order to safeguard fundamental EU values and uphold the rule of law within Member States.

During the international seminar Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space, Aleksa Škundrić from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law discussed the relationship between the determination of truth and the principle of a fair trial in criminal proceedings. His presentation focused on how criminal justice systems aim to establish factual truth while simultaneously respecting procedural guarantees and fundamental rights.

During the international seminar Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space, Ivana Miljuš, Docent at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law, presented European legal standards for safeguarding vulnerable victims in criminal proceedings. Her contribution outlined the importance of aligning national practices with European norms to ensure that victims receive adequate procedural protection throughout the justice process.

During the international seminar Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space, Sanja Jelisavac Trošić, Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of International Politics and Economics, analyzed the European Union’s normative power in the context of democratic fatigue in Serbia. Her presentation examined how the EU’s influence in promoting democratic reforms has faced growing limitations, particularly amid slowing enlargement dynamics and declining political incentives for transformation.

During the international seminar Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space, Xulio Ferreiro Baamonde discussed the role of algorithmic design in criminal justice systems. He examined the increasing use of automated decision-making tools and their potential impact on democratic governance, particularly regarding transparency, accountability, and procedural safeguards in judicial and law-enforcement contexts.

Marina Matić Bošković, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Criminological and Sociological Research in Belgrade, Serbia, addressed judicial independence in EU Member States and candidate countries during the international seminar “Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space,” held on March 26–27, 2026. Drawing on her professional experience as a consultant for projects funded by the European Union, as well as for the World Bank, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE, she analyzed current trends of democratic backsliding and their impact on the autonomy of judicial systems across Europe.

Susana Checa Prieto, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Legal Sciences and International Relations (UNIE Universidad), opened the seminar by stressing the importance of academic cooperation in addressing the democratic challenges currently facing Europe. She underlined the role of universities as spaces for critical reflection, knowledge production, and constructive debate, particularly in a context marked by political polarization, institutional pressures, and rapid technological transformation.

The seminar “Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space” featured a presentation by Ramiro Díaz-Maroto Oro, who focused his talk on the rise of populism and the digital communication strategies used by far-right European leaders. During his intervention, he analyzed how these political actors have adapted their discourse to the short, emotionally driven formats characteristic of social media, prioritizing simple, polarizing, and easily shareable messages to amplify their reach.

During the I Seminar “Advances and Setbacks of Democracy in the European Space”, Elena Carolina Díaz Galán delivered a presentation focused on the protection of human rights within the framework of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Her intervention examined recent jurisprudential developments and the evolving role of the Court in safeguarding fundamental rights within the European legal order.

Madrid, octubre de 2026. UNIE Universidad celebrará los próximos días 11 y 12 de noviembre de 2026 el encuentro científico internacional The External Projection of Human Rights in Europe (La proyección exterior de los derechos humanos en Europa), una iniciativa académica que reunirá a destacados especialistas en Derecho Internacional, Derecho de la Unión Europea, Relaciones Internacionales, derechos humanos y ciencias políticas para debatir sobre los principales desafíos que afronta Europa en la defensa y proyección internacional de sus valores y estándares jurídicos.

Un seminario internacional analiza los avances y retrocesos de la democracia en Europa y la proyección de los derechos humanos

The first Jean Monnet Module Training Course “Rule of law, democracy and human rights as elements of cohesion and survival of the European Union: areas of action and improvement” (RDH), Project No. 101233195 will be held from December 1 to 10, 2025. It will be in online format.

With the participation of members of the Module, the seminar "European Security in a Turbulent World: Tariffs, Wars, and New Alliances" was held on October 14, 15, and 16, 2025, at the URJC Fuenlabrada Campus. The seminar “European Security in a Turbulent World: Tariffs, Wars, and New Alliances,” organized by the Research Center in Ibero-American Studies of the Rey Juan Carlos University with a grant received from the General Secretariat of Defense Policy of the Ministry of Defense, had the following objectives:

A major international forum addressing the pressing challenges facing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the 21st century will be held virtually on October 7 and 9, 2025. The event, organized by a consortium of prestigious academic institutions from Peru, Spain, Morocco, and Venezuela, will bring together leading experts in international law to examine the evolving role of the world's principal judicial organ.

International Scholars to Converge for "Effective Justice II" Seminar in Poznań

May 29, 2025. The Cervantes Institute in Tetuan hosted a significant event, "Spain in Freedom: 50 years of democracy," to commemorate the successful collective process that transformed Spain from a dictatorship into one of the world's most robust, open, and prosperous democracies.

Prominent scholars and legal experts from across the globe will convene on April 10, 2025, at UNIE University in Madrid for a groundbreaking international seminar titled "Are Europe and America the World Leaders for Human Rights Protection and Sustainability? Contributions of the International Regions to Human Rights and Sustainable Development."