A coalition of human rights groups highlights Italy’s role in Europe’s “democratic recession”, alongside Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia.
A coalition of civil liberties organisations has issued a stark warning, asserting that Italy has significantly eroded the rule of law under the current government, as part of a broader decline in democratic standards across Europe. According to a report by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties), Italy is one of five nations labelled as “dismantlers” – alongside Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia – where governments are deliberately undermining democratic institutions and the rule of law.
The report highlights the changes made to Italy’s judicial system by Giorgia Meloni’s administration, particularly concerning proposals to grant extensive powers to the justice ministry, which would allow political influence over judicial processes. Furthermore, the government has interfered with public media, with one example being the controversial cancellation of Antonio Scurati’s “anti-fascist manifesto” from a TV show.
Similar concerns were raised across the region. In Bulgaria, there were reports of politically motivated anti-corruption investigations targeting government opponents. Meanwhile, in Slovakia, nationalist populist policies, such as the abolition of the office of the central prosecutor and a law labelling NGOs receiving foreign funds as “foreign-supported organisations,” have raised alarm.
In Croatia, the report notes the damage to the justice system after the appointment of Ivan Turudić, a judge closely linked to the ruling party, as state attorney general. In Romania, the increasing use of social media to influence elections has raised concerns, especially after a surge in support for an ultranationalist candidate via TikTok. Despite the troubling trends in these countries, the report also highlights issues in western European democracies such as France and Germany. In France, there has been growing use of a controversial procedure to bypass parliamentary votes, while in Germany, there have been concerns over the suppression of pro-Palestinian voices and other restrictions on free expression.
The report urges the European Union to take more decisive action, including linking rule of law assessments to the disbursement of EU funds and pursuing faster legal remedies for breaches. It concludes that without such measures, the EU risks further erosion of democratic freedoms.
