EU Watchdog Exposes Five Governments as 'Dismantlers' of Rule of Law
A damning report from Europe's leading civil liberties group has identified five EU member states where governments are "consistently and intentionally" eroding the rule of law. The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) warns that democratic standards are deteriorating across the bloc, with Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Slovakia singled out as active "dismantlers" pursuing regressive policies.
Populist Governments Undermine Justice and Media Freedom
Drawing on evidence from over 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the 2026 Liberties report highlights a severe regression in Slovakia under the populist, pro-Moscow government of Robert Fico. The rule of law has weakened in all areas, including justice, anti-corruption efforts, media freedom, and civil society checks and balances. Similarly, Bulgaria faces a bleak situation, while Hungary, under Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule, "remains in a category of its own," continuing to enact ever more regressive laws with no sign of change ahead of elections on 12 April.
Democratic Strongholds Show Signs of Slipping
The report also classifies Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, and Sweden as "sliders"—countries with strong democratic traditions where the rule of law is declining in some areas, though not as part of an overall political strategy. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain are labeled "stagnators," with conditions neither improving nor deteriorating. Poland falls into this category, as Prime Minister Donald Tusk struggles to restore an independent judiciary dismantled by the previous government, hampered by presidential vetoes.
EU Mechanisms Criticized as Ineffective
Liberties criticizes the EU's mechanisms for addressing rule-of-law erosion as largely ineffective. The report finds that 93% of recommendations in the European Commission's 2025 rule of law report were repeats from previous years, with 61 out of 100 assessed recommendations showing zero progress and 13 deteriorating. Ilina Neshikj, Liberties' executive director, states, "Repeating recommendations without meaningful follow-up will not reverse this backsliding."
Attacks on Civil Society and Media Intensify
The report notes that rule-of-law conditions deteriorated most in 2025 in the democratic "checks and balances" pillar, with independent NGOs and civil society facing increasing restrictions. Regressive legislation and penalties for protests are on the rise, including in Hungary, where Pride events were banned and organizers investigated. In Italy, a security decree criminalizes dissent while strengthening police guarantees. Attacks on journalists have increased in Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, and notably Slovakia, with media freedom showing little improvement overall.
Only Latvia is praised as a "hard worker," actively improving rule-of-law standards. The report concludes that EU institutions have failed to defend fundamental rights, normalizing fast-track lawmaking and undermining their own credibility in the process.
