Rule of law: Parliament demands stronger action as threats persist 

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• Courts, media freedom, civic space remain under pressure 
• Call for firmer response against corruption, spyware and attacks on journalists 
• Fundamental rights and equality must be fully protected 

MEPs warn that persistent rule of law gaps weaken democratic safeguards in the EU and that Commission recommendations are not being followed up.

The text, adopted in plenary with 387 votes in favour, 191 against and 46 abstentions on Wednesday, examines the Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report taking stock of developments across member states and in the Union’s institutions.

Parliament stresses that 93% of Commission recommendations are repeated from prior years. Judicial independence, anti-corruption frameworks, media freedom, civic space, equality, and checks and balances remain at risk, while annual monitoring still under-reports serious structural threats. These failures directly harm citizens’ access to justice, protection against discrimination, freedom of expression, information access, democratic participation, and proper use of public money.

Justice concerns

MEPs warn against excessive political influence over judicial appointments, disciplinary panels, promotions, and case allocation. They call on member states to guarantee structurally independent, efficient and impartial justice systems, with adequate resources, free legal aid, and safeguards against political pressure.

MEPs condemn the political misuse of justice systems, including interference in corruption cases, politically motivated prosecutions, attacks on judges and prosecutors, and abuses of amnesties and pardons. They also seek stronger enforcement for rulings of the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights and ask the Commission to treat prison conditions as a rule of law concern.

Persistent corruption issues

MEPs label corruption a serious threat to democracy, the rule of law and equal treatment, warning that weak enforcement of the available legal tools fosters impunity and erodes citizens’ trust. They welcome the new directive on combating corruption and call for stronger sanctions, specialised bodies, and effective action on high-level cases. Parliament also asks for full EU membership of GRECO and stronger cooperation between EU bodies dealing with corruption.

Pressure on media freedom and civil society

Parliament underlines that killing investigative journalists directly attacks the rule of law, while threats, harassment and abusive lawsuits chill reporting. MEPs condemn the use of spyware surveillance and sound the alarm over political interference, state-controlled advertising, concentrated ownership, and pressure on public service media.

Parliament also warns against shrinking civic space – via excessive administrative burdens, funding cuts, smear campaigns, and criminalisation of organisations and human rights defenders and reiterate that restrictions on civil society and the freedoms of assembly and association must be justified, proportionate and rights-compliant.

Fundamental rights, EU funds, and enlargement

Parliament links rule of law and fundamental rights, citing concerns over discrimination, hate speech, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-LGBTIQ+ measures, minority rights gaps, gender-based violence, migration and asylum policies, and barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights. MEPs also warn that EU funds may have been linked to rights violations and call for payment suspensions where deficiencies persist.

Finally, they say that rule of law scrutiny must be rigorous in EU enlargement and all countries held to the same high standards.

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Rapporteur Konstantinos Arvanitis (The Left, Greece) commented: “The report’s approval by a broad majority of the democratic political forces is a milestone of good institutional order and an indicator of the consolidation of the rule of law in the EU. The text covers all relevant areas, unequivocally expresses our concerns about irregularities in member states, and includes numerous concrete proposals for improvement. I am very grateful to my fellow MEPs who supported it, and I hope that it will become an important reference tool for our future actions to safeguard European values.”