Following the state elections in Thuringia on 1 September, the far-right AfD could emerge as the strongest party by a significant margin. Against this backdrop, there is now a debate on how democracy and the rule of law at state level can be protected from authoritarian actors. The EU could play an important role here. In the past, the Commission has mainly responded to attacks on democratic institutions at national level. But regional governments must also adhere to the EU's fundamental values. In a federal system like Germany, the states play an important role in the implementation of European law and administer billions of euros in EU funding. Using the example of Thuringia, this analysis shows that most of the EU's rule of law instruments could be applied at regional level. Withholding EU funding would be the most effective means of doing so.