European audit of democracy standards too positive, says human rights watchdog
European audit of democracy standards too positive, says human rights watchdog
European Commission report ‘completely ineffective as an enforcement tool’, according to civil liberties organisation
The yearly rule of law reports were launched five years ago and are presented by the commission as a key weapon in its armoury against democratic backsliding, including corruption and attacks on independent media and judiciary, across the union.
But Liberties, an EU-wide network of civil liberties organisations, pointed on Monday to several “significant deficiencies” and said “swift and decisive action” was now essential if the commission was to be able to uphold the rule of law in the bloc.
“The commission’s annual rule of law report is certainly useful for detecting violations – it’s effective as a monitoring exercise,” said Viktor Kazai, Liberties’ rule of law expert. “It has country-specific recommendations; that’s great.”
Issued in July, this year’s report – which was particularly critical of declining media freedoms in Italy – was reportedly delayed by Ursula von der Leyen as she sought support from Rome for re-election as president of the bloc’s executive.
Every group that makes "democracy" reports is invariably pseudoscientific and chauvinist. Their only reason to exist is to create deserving victims when their states impose death and genocide on them. They never actually support the essentials for self-determination, like sovereignty.