Poland and Hungary show limited progress in rule of law, says European Commission report
Poland and Hungary have made little progress in strengthening the rule of law, according to the latest report by the European Commission. Both countries, led by nationalist conservative governments, have been at odds with the European Union, which has tied the release of EU funds to the improvement of democratic institutions.
The report, published on Wednesday, highlights that Poland has yet to implement a range of reforms necessary for ensuring democratic accountability. Věra Jourová, a vice-president of the European Commission, stated that this year’s report also assesses the implementation of the recommendations given to each member state last year. Poland appears to be one of the slowest countries in initiating reforms.
The chapter on Poland in the report points out a list of unresolved issues, including the failure to strengthen integrity rules and ensure independent investigations. The report also emphasizes the need for the country to guarantee the functional independence of the prosecution service from the government. These findings come ahead of the Polish national elections, where Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is using migration as a tool to foster resentment against the EU.
Hungary, on the other hand, only shows marginal improvement. The report acknowledges that Budapest has strengthened the National Judicial Council, but faults it for making no progress in lobbying, high-level corruption cases, civil society, and media independence.
The strained relationship between Hungary and the EU was evident at the recent EU summit in Brussels, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban insinuated mismanagement of funds from the EU budget. Orban also rejected the European Commission’s plans to grant €50bn to Ukraine, stating that Hungary and Poland are still owed EU funds that they are entitled to receive.
The report has not convinced everyone that the promised reforms will actually be implemented. German Green MEP Daniel Freund argues that the improvements observed in Hungary and Poland are primarily cosmetic and exist only on paper.
