Flip Petillion
Flip Petillion
Closing Statement at the Balie Brussel Conference on the Impact of Geopolitical Developments on the Rule of Law
Bozar, Brussels, 26 September 2025
Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you all enjoyed today’s speeches and discussion as much as I did.
Please join me in thanking our distinguished panel of speakers by a round of applause.
I now have the task of closing this conference and to share some personal thoughts.
And I should start with an apology. When organising this event, we called it ‘Geopolitical Developments & the Rule of Law’.
That was a mistake.
The term ‘Geopolitics’ should have been ‘Egopolitics’.
Major players at the international arena are putting their ego before everything else. A bit like bullies. We all know what they are;
They never play by the rules. They cheat, intimidate, suppress.
But in the end, they never truly win. Because there is always a reaction—whether punishment, resistance, or simple exhaustion.
A bit like Biff, the bully in the movie Back to the Future.
And like all bullies, he thought he was strong, but in truth he was weak – because fear is never a foundation for respect.
We now face bullies on the world stage.
Leaders who refuse to play by the rules, who intimidate, who disrespect institutions, who even try to place themselves above courts and constitutions.
These are countries that sit in the United Nations, even in the Security Council, but they participate only when it suits them. They have refused to join the International Criminal Court.
They sometimes deny the authority of the International Court of Justice.
They want the executive to have the last word, above the law, above judges, above institutions.
This is not democracy. This is not respect for the separation of powers.
It is the erosion of them. It is what I have called before: power replacing principle, obedience rewarded, resistance punished.
Some even say that parliaments should have the right to overrule judges. But that is the tyranny of the majority. In a constitutional democracy, no simple majority can undo a court. Only constitutional change can. And even then, it should require more than a fleeting majority. It should demand the broadest consensus—perhaps even unanimity. Because without respect for the judiciary, the constitution itself unravels.
As Max Weber taught us, dominance requires legitimacy.
And there are 3 components that may justify power: First, Rational legal framework:
that’s a coherent framework that is based on the rule of law and that respects it. Second, Tradition: people care for tradition. Often religion is invoked to legitimise power. Take the US presidential oath: it is sworn on the Bible. Third, Charisma:
a leader will play on emotion, using personal charm. In its negative form - fear
The Trump regime only plays out the emotional component. They are trying to get rid of institutional tradition. They don’t use the legal framework in a rational way. They create dominance based on fear. But Trump’s legitimacy is built on unstable ground.
How do we react?
We can act, by being fearless. And in our actions, we must focus on those components that the Trump regime is ignoring: the rational legal framework and the people’s respect for tradition.
In practice, we need to act on three levels: Institutionally, diplomatically, between states, and personally, between individuals and companies.
So how do we respond?
Not by imitating the bullies. Not by tearing up the rulebook ourselves. But neither by staying passive. We must build our strength. We must be ready to show our muscles when needed. Showing our muscles is not about using them recklessly, but about proving that we have them.
Diplomacy must be given the broadest possible chance, but diplomacy only works when backed by strength. To demonstrate that we will not be pushed around.
Power must be restrained by principle, and principle must be defended with resilience.
And that brings me to responsibility, ours. Not only institutions, but individuals. Judges, lawyers, prosecutors. If we do not carry ourselves with dignity, how can we expect respect? Only with respect can one demand respect. Only with dignity can justice endure.
This is why I still believe there is hope. Not blind optimism. Not naïve faith. But earned hope. Hope in judges who act with courage. Hope in citizens who stand up. Hope in lawyers who insist on principle. Hope in institutions that still have teeth.
So let me close with this: When law is threatened, values must lead. Even when rules fall silent, justice must still speak.
Ladies and gentlemen, To paraphrase Jean-Jacques Rousseau: If the rule of law did not exist, we would have to invent it. So, let us go back to the future. Back to a future where the rule of law is not optional, but essential. Back to a future where democracy, human rights, and justice are not slogans, but lived realities. Back to a future where bullies no longer decide the rules of the game—because the rule of law will.
Thank you.
Flip Petillion
