31 August 2026
Pangloss in Brussels
When it comes to the Commission’s Annual Rule of Law Report, first launched in 2020, the years go by and they all look the same. In its latest edition published last July, the Commission referred to a “broadly positive trajectory” regarding the rule of law in the EU. The year before, the Commission similarly asserted a “positive reform dynamic” and “positive trajectory” in the EU. This phrasing was virtually identical to the one used in 2024 (“positive reform dynamic”) and 2023 (“positive trend”). These claims and figures do not, however, survive close scrutiny. Continue reading >>
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28 October 2024
The Missing Chapter
The European Commission’s Annual Rule of Law Report aims to prevent further rule of law backsliding within the EU by examining the rule of law situation in Member States. However, the report is missing an important chapter: the EU itself. On 28 October 2024, the Rule of Law Clinic (CEU Democracy Institute, Budapest), together with experts from across Europe, began bridging this gap by publishing the first report on EU adherence to rule of law standards. Without a meaningful self-assessment of its own compliance with rule of law principles, the EU weakens its credibility, particularly when addressing systemic non-compliance with EU law by Member States. Continue reading >>
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