Продаж Lexus LC 2019Italy is among the top five countries contributing to the “democratic recession” in Europe - report
Kyiv • UNN
Italy is among the top five countries shaping the "decline" of the rule of law in Europe. The impact of government decisions in Slovakia and Croatia is also a cause for concern, and Romania, France and Germany are not immune to problems in the context of the “democratic recession”.
Italy is among the top five countries actively undermining the rule of law, contributing to the deepening "democratic recession" in Europe. This is stated in the report of the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties), which was published on March 17, 2025.
This is reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.
Details
According to the media, the report of the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) states that Italy is one of the five "dismantlers" - along with Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovakia - who are "deliberately undermining the rule of law in virtually all aspects".
The report also highlights a significant regression in Hungary, where increased pressure on NGOs and the media was recorded in 2024.
The democratic recession in Europe deepened in 2024
The report highlights judicial systems prone to political manipulation, weak enforcement of anti-corruption laws, excessive use of accelerated legislative procedures, persecution of journalists and increasing restrictions on peaceful protests.
Without decisive action, the EU risks further democratic erosion
In Italy, researchers highlighted how Giorgia Meloni's government has developed proposals to give the justice ministry "unlimited powers" over prosecutors, which would increase political control over the judiciary.
Italian authors also noted an "unprecedented level of interference in public media", such as the cancellation of author Antonio Scurati's "anti-fascist manifesto" and disciplinary action against the host of a talk show in which the speech was to be delivered.
The report looked at how Bulgaria launched anti-corruption investigations against political opponents of the government, while long-term schemes, such as the illegal dumping of construction debris in Sofia, continued to exist.
In Slovakia, there was concern over numerous changes introduced by the government of populist nationalist Robert Fico, including the abolition of the post of central prosecutor and a bill on foreign agents that would force NGOs to be labeled as "organizations supported by foreign sources" if they receive more than 5,000 euros from abroad.
In Croatia, the integrity of the judiciary was questioned following the appointment of Ivan Turudic, a judge with close ties to the ruling party, as Attorney General. The European Public Prosecutor's Office has expressed concern about "systemic problems" in Croatia, with Turudic's office likely challenging the European Public Prosecutor's Office's right to investigate a case of EU budget fraud.
In Romania, the presidential election results showed how social media, particularly TikTok, can help an ultranationalist win, while a bill to ensure the independence of public television and radio has remained undeveloped in parliament since 2021. The report's authors also warned that even "exemplary democracies" such as France and Germany are not immune to problems.
In France, concerns have been expressed about the increasing use of Article 49.3 to make decisions without a vote, as well as increased restrictions on freedom of expression ahead of the Olympics and to combat foreign interference.
In Germany, it was noted that while the introduction of stricter rules to combat "revolving doors" is positive, there are concerns about excessive responses to pro-Palestinian actions, such as censorship or denial of entry to former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who was invited to speak at such a conference.
Last April, police shut down a Palestinian conference in Berlin, fearing it could become a platform for anti-Semitic statements.
Poland, which is trying to resist the attack on independent institutions, has been described as a cautionary tale. The coalition government led by Donald Tusk has tried to restore judicial independence and media pluralism, but has faced conflict with President Andrzej Duda and difficulties in solving the problem of compromised institutions.
Poland demonstrates that addressing the restoration of institutional independence is an extremely complex and fragile task, Liberties said.
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