PRINCÍP DEMOKRATICKEJ PODMIENENOSTI ČLENSTVA A JEHO UPLATŇOVANIE A SANKCIONOVANIE V EÚ (K 20. VÝROČIU VSTUPU SLOVENSKEJ REPUBLIKY DO EURÓPSKEJ ÚNIE)

The principle of democratic conditionality has played a fundamental role in the European Union's enlargement and internal governance. This principle ensures that candidate and member states adhere to fundamental democratic values. The article provides an analysis of democratic rules in selected international organizations, focusing on their enforcement mechanisms. A substantial part of the study is devoted to the European Union's accession conditions for Central and Eastern European countries, particularly the human rights clauses in free trade and association agreements with third countries. The article explores the EU's sanctioning mechanism as enshrined in Article 7 TEU, which seeks to protect the fundamental values laid out in Article 2 TEU. It also examines the challenges in enforcing sanctions and the effectiveness of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092, which introduced conditionality mechanisms for accessing Union funds. Special attention is given to the case of Hungary, where the European Commission applied financial sanctions due to rule-of-law violations. The study concludes that while the EU has developed multiple mechanisms to enforce democratic standards, their effectiveness varies depending on political will and institutional constraints.