Abstract

The author examines the legal discipline of religious freedom as a test of democracy, both in domestic policy, from Westfalia to the European Union, and in foreign policy, by focusing upon the "EU Guidelines" and the "International Religious Freedom Act". So he points out the negative effects of this kind of policy, because on the one hand USA and EU exempt themselves from the scrutiny and on the other hand behave as the guardians of the global respect of the human rights (legal paternalism): a responsibility, the latter, own of the UNO.