On Thursday (12 December), the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) convened an inter-parliamentary meeting to address the state of the Rule of Law across EU member states and candidate countries. Participants included Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath, MEPs, national MPs, experts, and civil society organisations. The meeting, divided in two sessions, focused on mechanisms to strengthen democratic values amid challenges such as foreign election interference, judicial independence, and media freedom.
Session I: Enhancing Rule of Law Mechanisms
The first session examined how the EU’s Democracy, Rule of Law, and Fundamental Rights (DRF) mechanism can better uphold Union values. Commissioner McGrath underscored the Rule of Law as a cornerstone of the EU, connecting it to fundamental rights and economic stability. He highlighted improvements in the Annual Rule of Law Report, which monitors judicial independence, anti-corruption measures, media freedom, and other institutional checks. McGrath noted that 68% of recommendations from the report have been implemented, though challenges persist. He also announced plans to incorporate a single-market dimension to the next edition and align financial mechanisms with Rule of Law recommendations.
Laurent Pech, Dean of Law at University College Dublin, criticised delays in enforcing existing tools, emphasising that fine-tuning mechanisms alone are insufficient without decisive implementation. Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, advocated for stronger alignment with its recommendations to ensure broader accountability. Michael Farrugia from Malta highlighted national reforms following the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, including enhancing judicial independence and anti-corruption measures, presenting his country as a success story. Finally, Dutch senator Boris Dittrich highlighted the need to balance judicial independence with proposals for establishing a constitutional court in the country, ensuring requirements of no political interference.
Nonetheless, some participants argued that the EU’s scrutiny of some countries such as Hungary has been “overly politicised”, accusing the European Parliament of pressuring the European Commission to overreach its competencies
Session II: Civil Society as a Pillar of Democracy
The second session focused on the role of civil society in safeguarding the Rule of Law. Gabriel Toggenburg from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights emphasised that a robust civic space is essential for democracy. Michael Hamilton from Amnesty International highlighted threats to freedom of assembly and called for stronger protections for civil society actors.
Moreover, András Léderer of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee described the deteriorating conditions for civil society in Hungary, citing surveillance and discrediting campaigns by government agencies. He warned that independent organisations face significant risks, including retaliation for exposing democratic backsliding.
Conversely, some speakers raised concerns about NGO involvement in political affairs. Some MPs stressed the importance of transparency in NGO funding to prevent undue influence.
