Five EU governments found to ‘consistently’ dismantle rule of law | Civil liberties – international
Governments in five EU member states are “persistently and deliberately” eroding the rule of law, while democratic standards are deteriorating in a further six countries, including historically strong democracies, Europe’s leading civil liberties group has warned.
Based on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the European Union for Civil Liberties (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as “subversives” who actively undermine the rule of law.
Group’s 2026 reportThe report, published on Monday, said the rule of law in Slovakia had declined in all areas – justice, the fight against corruption, media freedom and civil society checks and balances – under the populist, authoritarian, pro-Moscow government of Robert Fico.
The picture in Bulgaria is similarly bleak, while Hungary, where Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule could end after elections on April 12, “remains in a category of its own and continues to pursue ever more reactionary laws and policies, with no signs of change.”
Elsewhere, the Liberties described Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and Sweden, which all have strong democratic traditions, as “sliders”: places where the rule of law is receding in some areas, where the erosion is not part of an overall political strategy.
The 800-page report stated that the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain were classified as “stagnant countries”, defined as countries where rule of law conditions are neither improving nor deteriorating.
Poland also fell into this category; Prime Minister Donald Tusk is trying to restore key elements of the rule of law, such as an independent judiciary, that were dismantled by the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, but is blocked by a presidential veto.
Liberties said Poland’s limited progress so far “shows how challenging and fragile it can be to restore damaged institutional independence.” Only Latvia deserved “hardworking” status with a government that actively improved rule of law standards.
The report also stated that the EU’s mechanisms to address erosion or the rule of law are largely ineffective, with most member states failing to translate guidance into concrete action despite several years of recommendations from the European Commission.
It was revealed that 93 percent of all recommendations in the EU administration’s own 2025 rule of law report were repetitions from previous years, many of them were transferred without any changes in the wording, and the number of new recommendations has decreased by half since 2024.
Of the 100 commission recommendations considered by the Liberties, 61 show zero improvement, while 13 worsen. “The commission’s report was supposed to spur concrete action,” said Ilina Neshikj, director general of Liberties.
But after seven years of pressure, the Liberties’ findings “highlight not only the decline but also ongoing and deliberate efforts to undermine the rule of law. Repetition of recommendations without meaningful follow-up will not reverse this,” he said.
The report also criticized EU institutions in general, saying that by 2025 these institutions not only “reflect many of the problems seen in member countries” but also fail to consistently implement and defend fundamental rights.
“They normalized exceptional, expedited lawmaking, rolled back basic fundamental rights protections, and launched a concerted campaign against watchdog organizations,” said Kersty McCourt, senior advocacy counsel at Liberties.
McCourt added that when this happens, institutions “undermine the credibility of the EU and their own rule of law reports”.
Freedoms found that rule of law conditions deteriorated most in 2025 in the democratic “checks and balances” pillar: independent NGOs and civil society can organize, challenge decisions and hold governments to account.
Reactionary legislation and harsh penalties for participating in banned protests have been seen on the rise, including in Hungary, where Pride events have been banned and their organizers, including the mayor of Budapest, subject to official investigation.
A highly restrictive security decree has been adopted in Italy, criminalizing road blockades and other forms of dissent but strengthening safeguards against police. Pro-climate and pro-Palestinian protesters have faced bans and criminalization in many member states.
The justice pillar also showed a lack of progress, Liberties said, particularly highlighting “the trend towards an increasingly critical or hostile political discourse towards the judiciary and human rights institutions”.
There has also been little progress in anti-corruption efforts. Only a small number of states have made measurable progress on media freedom. Attacks on journalists have increased in Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands and especially Slovakia.
