The European Commission has carried out a first overall assessment of the rule of law in all Member States. As expected, significant allegations have been made against Hungary and Poland. However, countries such as Spain, Malta, Bulgaria and Slovenia have also been criticized. In response to the published report, a number of non-governmental organizations and politicians from the European Parliament have stated that this assessment reaffirms the need to step up action against countries that refuse to play by common rules.
The European Commission criticizes Hungary and Poland for the rule of lawArtyom Konohov00:00 / 02:57
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The rule of law is made up of several components: independent courts, an effective fight against corruption, a free and diverse media, and a balance between the various branches of power. These are also the areas analyzed by the European Commission in its first report on the rule of law in all 27 bloc countries.
Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the European Commission for Values, said it was important to look at the big picture, because mixing different problems could, in her words, become an “inedible cocktail”. Jourova also recalled her youth in Czechoslovakia.
“I know this from my own experience, because I grew up in an authoritarian regime without the rule of law. This means that equality before the law was an illusion – some people were more equal than others. Politically appointed judges did not decide a fair trial. The media broadcast propaganda in the interests of the ruling party. “We had to listen to ‘Radio Free Europe’ to hear a different perspective. The European Union was created, among other things, to counter such authoritarian tendencies,” Jourova said.
Not surprisingly, the biggest criticism is against Hungary and Poland. The European Commission has repeatedly taken them to court to stop various controversial reforms. Malta was also criticized. One of the main problems in this country is the lack of media independence and the obstacles that prevent journalists from carrying out their work. This is mainly the murder of the investigative journalist Dafna Karuana-Galicia.
In the Czech Republic, on the other hand, there are problems with the systematic investigation of large-scale corruption cases.
The situation in Latvia is generally assessed very positively. The authors of the report point out that the role of the Judicial Council in the selection of judges and the Prosecutor General has increased in recent years. The fight against corruption is also being strengthened. However, lengthy court cases of corruption pose problems. In the field of media, it is mentioned that questions have been raised about the independence of the National Electronic Media Council.
The non-governmental organization Transparency International welcomed the new assessment of the rule of law in the European Union. However, in order to solve the problems, the bloc needs an effective mechanism to deny access to European funds in countries where there are serious problems with the independence of the judiciary or the work of investigative bodies. A similar call was made by the Greens and Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament and by the Union for Civil Liberties in Europe.
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