Brussels' Rule of Law Report Faces Scrutiny Over Lack of Reform

While Commission President Ursula von der Leyen maintains that the annual report serves as a vital reference point for national reforms, the Berlin-based NGO Liberties paints a grimmer picture. Their recent gap analysis reveals that 54 percent of the commission’s suggestions have seen little to no movement. Instead of driving change, the report largely recycles previous advice, introducing only seven new recommendations this year.

Kersty McCourt, a rule-of-law expert at Liberties, warned that the system is losing its efficacy by repeatedly issuing unheeded advice while failing to identify emerging threats. The study suggests that progress is stalled by a combination of member state resistance and a glaring vacuum in enforcement mechanisms. Even traditionally stable Nordic countries are now showing signs of slipping through the cracks of the EU’s oversight, as the commission struggles to address systemic issues that have become too entrenched for standard policy recommendations to resolve.