The forum discussion, entitled  "Rule of Law in the European Union: Liberty of the Many or Duty of the Few?" and organized in joint cooperation between the Open Estonia Foundation and the European Commission Representation in Estonia ran for two hours. Click here or on the video link above to view.

The XXIV Open Society Forum looked at what the rule of law means in reality in today's EU, how it can connect with and strengthen other EU safeguards on protecting the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, and the role of and challenges for civil society and interest groups, the Open Estonia Foundation said via a press release at the time.

The working language of the event was English, with Estonian simultaneous translation provided. 

Věra Jourová, Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency gave the keynote speech and will reference the EU Rule of Law Report, launched on September 30, 2020, which was one of the major initiatives of the EU Commission Work Programme for 2020. 

The report monitored significant developments, both positive and negative, relating to the rule of law in member states and acts as a preventive tool, deepening dialogue and joint awareness of rule of law issues. 

President Jourová's keynote, and a round of Q & A, was followed by a discussion.

Former President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) and Open Estonia Foundation board member Kristi Raik, and Katrin Nyman-Metcalf, adjunct professor at TalTech Department of Law and Chair of Supervisory Council of Estonian Human Rights Center, also took part.

The forum was moderated by ERR's Johannes Tralla. Tralla was ERR's Brussels correspondent 2012-2018.  

The Open Estonia Foundation, an organization which supports developments in the Estonian society that advance openness , has been organizing its Open Society Forums for nearly quarter of a century, bringing together the best of opinion leaders inside Estonia and outside, with previous speakers including investor, philanthropist and Open Estonia Foundation founder George Soros, former Finnish president and UN diplomat Martti Ahtisaari and U.S. economic and social theorist Jeremy Rikfin.

This year's event was co-sponsored by the Estonian Ministry of Justice.

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