Rule of law illustrated by Christoph Niemann: Commission launches social campaign to raise awareness

Brussels – The European Commission is launching a social campaign on the rule of law through the work of illustrator Christoph Niemann. The goal is to raise awareness among citizens on the issue.

To make abstract concepts such as the rule of law more relatable, the Commission decided to combine illustrations and social media.

At the heart of the initiative is explaining the six core principles defining the rule of law (equality before the law, legal certainty, the prohibition of arbitrariness, judicial independence, legality, and separation of powers), with “something we know from everyday life: the rules in sports,” as Niemann describes his work. His graphics aim to help understand “what would happen if we took away the rules” as a metaphor for the importance of the rule of law in regulating social life.

The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynder, welcomed the initiative, recalling the impact of the rule of law in daily life since we rely on it “on a daily basis” and that it is important to “prevent injustice and inequality.”

The animation series will be distributed on social media in all 27 EU member states for four weeks.