The European Union's executive on Wednesday chided Poland and Hungary for democratic deficiencies that have been accerbated by measures taken or left unaddressed by the current governments.
While the EU Commission's annual rule of law report noted a smattering of improvements in the two nations, it also underscored many remaining shortcomings that highlight the standoff between the Brussels-based EU institutions and the two east European nations. It constitutes one of the fundamental problems within the 27-nation bloc that has always sought to be a beacon of Western political liberalism in a world where autocracies sway ever more power.
In the 35-page report, Poland came up time and again, specifically on legal issues that haven't been fully addressed despite years of wrangling between Brussels and Poland, and EU action to deny Poland access to some EU funds.
The report said there were still “serious concerns" related to the state institution intended to safeguard the independence of courts and judges, and said “there are legitimate doubts as to its independence.” It also said that “serious doubts remain” about the appointment of several supreme court judges. It also chastised Warsaw for ongoing investigations of judges related to their judicial decisions.
And looking ahead, it said a recent law gave it "serious concerns that it could be used to affect the possibility of individuals to run for public office."
The report assessed the recommendations made last year and found that in a half dozen cases, ranging from judicial independence to media freedom and anti-corruption measures, “no progress” had been made.
The report appeared less harsh on Hungary, where it said some legislative reforms had been adopted and some judicial checks and balances applied. Corruption remained an issue though.
“The lack of a robust track record of investigations of corruption allegations concerning high-level officials and their immediate circle remains a serious concern,” the commission wrote.
It also criticized Budapest on journalistic independence, saying “there have been no developments to address the various challenges to media pluralism.”
The EU's fourth annual report on the rule of law in the 27 member states noted progress on about two-thirds of its recommendations but said that systemic concerns remain about some member states.
