Democracy in the EU is broken. The attacks on the rule of law have been reaching in Hungary and Poland. These countries are institutionalising the presumption that a political majority has unlimited power to
- Undermine judicial independence
- Threaten media freedom
- Silence civil society
- Attack peoples’ fundamental rights
- Take control of higher education
- Control cultural institutions
These abuses affect everybody. Women, whose rights are systematically violated, the LGBTIQ+ community, scapegoated as a convenient distraction to actual problems, ethnic minorities, Roma and migrants constantly discriminated against and a permanent target of hate speech… The vulnerable are often those who pay the highest price. Human rights violations come in a context where courts are not functioning and public institutions are not protecting the people. Sometimes, the state itself orchestrates these attacks, in state-sponsored persecution.
What are the EU institutions doing to stop such attacks and protect the people?
⁉️ Has anyone seen the French presidency?
Debate on #RuleOfLaw of law & democracy in the European Parliament & @Europe2022FR goes AWOL.#EU2022FR #EPlenary @MalinBjork_EU pic.twitter.com/zs5OCKEJfF
— The Left in the European Parliament (@Left_EU) May 5, 2022
They are “using the tools in the toolbox.” But Europeans are tired of empty words. They want action.
We call upon EU institutions to use all their powers to protect the rule of law.
- The governments meeting in the EU Council must make a recommendation on the article 7 process, to deter member states from advancing policies that threaten democratic institutions
- The European Commission must block EU funding for countries that don’t respect democracy
- Court challenges on breaches of democracy and rule of law must be prioritised
- ew rules and procedures to protect democracy must be created, where necessary
Europe is at a crossroads. We must fix this appalling situation, or else we will find ourselves accepting it.
The Left will not give up on democracy and fundamental rights.