Over the last decade, the EU has been faced with serious threats to its fundamental values, with rule of law regressions taking place in several of its member states. As rule of law and democracy are tightly intertwined, the role of national parliaments in safeguarding these values has come to the forefront of scholarly and policy attention. The research note provides insights into the study of national parliaments in Europe, discussing their importance in exercising democratic control, as well as the technical and methodological challenges associated with the study of parliamentary activity. It provides original findings, highlights challenges and opportunities for future research, and offers policy recommendations for EU and national decision-makers. This research note is the result of elaborate effort to gauge the ways in which democracy and the rule of law are discussed across national parliaments in Europe. It relies on one-year-long research, collection of data and creation of an original dataset by the author in the context of the EU Horizon RED-SPINEL project.