A new report by the European civil liberties network Liberties warns of a continued deterioration of the rule of law across the European Union, including within EU institutions themselves. The findings are based on contributions from more than 40 human rights organizations across 22 member states and form the seventh edition of the group’s annual assessment.

According to the report, Bulgaria is placed in a category labeled “destroyers,” alongside Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Slovakia. These countries are described as those where legal frameworks are being weakened and democratic safeguards are being actively eroded. The most severe situation is attributed to Hungary, which is highlighted as a particularly extreme case of long-term institutional backsliding. The report also notes that a large share of EU-level recommendations remain unimplemented, while mechanisms of mutual oversight within the Union are weakening.

The overall assessment for 2025 points to a broader trend of declining rule-of-law standards across the EU. The report states that regression is visible in key areas such as judicial independence, anti-corruption policies, media freedom, and the system of checks and balances. In many member states, progress is described as minimal or absent, with little indication of meaningful improvement.

In Slovakia, the situation is described as particularly serious under the government of Robert Fico, with concerns raised about the weakening of democratic institutions and external political alignment. Bulgaria is also characterized as part of a similarly negative pattern, reflecting broader institutional weaknesses identified in the study.

The classification system in the report places additional EU countries in other groups. Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, and Sweden are labeled as “slippers,” meaning that rule-of-law standards are declining in certain areas, though without a coordinated political effort to dismantle them. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Poland are grouped as “stagnant,” indicating no significant improvement or deterioration overall. Poland is noted separately due to ongoing political tensions over judicial reforms, with limited progress attributed to institutional blockages.

Latvia is identified as the only country in the “hardworking” category, with active efforts to strengthen rule-of-law standards.

The report also criticizes the effectiveness of EU-level response mechanisms, arguing that they have failed to produce substantial change despite repeated annual recommendations from the European Commission. It notes that a very large proportion of recommendations—around 93% in the 2025 assessment—were repetitions from previous years, many carried forward without modification, while the number of new proposals has declined.

Out of 100 recommendations examined, the majority showed no progress, while a smaller share indicated deterioration. The report argues that this repetition without enforcement limits the impact of EU oversight tools.

Finally, the assessment extends criticism to EU institutions themselves, stating that they increasingly reflect the same systemic weaknesses observed in member states and are not consistently enforcing or safeguarding fundamental rights across the bloc.