The concept of resilience has become increasingly important in times of global polycrises and today combines environmental, climate, energy and security policy. Despite its prominent role in political debates, resilience remains vaguely defined in law: Its usefulness as a guiding concept fluctuates between flexibility and conceptual vagueness. While earlier approaches primarily emphasized a return to the initial state, a transformative understanding is increasingly coming to the fore that sees crises as impulses for structural change. This raises key questions as to which systems are protected, which risks are countered and whose interests are taken into account. The article argues that resilience only offers a productive orientation for law and governance if its concrete components – such as adaptive regulation, iterative reviews and cross-sectoral coordination – are clearly named and linked to the principles of the rule of law. Understood in this way, resilience can help to navigate complex uncertainties and promote transformations that are fair, democratic and sustainable.
