A New In-Depth Report by Liberties Ranks Bulgaria Among the "Dismantlers" of Democracy

Checks and balances weakened by emergency, fast-track legislative procedures
Justice systems under growing political pressure through smears, under-ﬁnance
Climate, pro-Palestine protests widely restricted, intimidated by excessive police force

Europe’s democratic recession has deepened in 2024, shows a new report by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties). Even countries regarded as democratic strongholds are sliding towards authoritarian tendencies and the European Union’s minimal use of its rule of law toolbox has barely made a dent.

According to the analysis, Bulgaria is among the "dismantlers" of democracy in Europe—countries whose governments actively and deliberately undermine the principles of the rule of law. The country shows deterioration in the areas of anti-corruption efforts, checks and balances, and the influence of civil society, while stagnation persists in the judiciary, media freedom, and human rights protection.

In its sixth edition since 2019, the 1000-page Report identifies the most striking infringements of justice, corruption, media freedom, checks and balances, civic space and human rights in the European Union in 2024. The comprehensive analysis, a collaboration of 43 human rights organisations from 21 EU countries coordinated by Liberties, including the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, is the most in-depth 'shadow reporting' exercise on the rule of law to date by an independent civil liberties network. The report findings feed into the rule of law monitoring cycle of the European Commission, and contributing organisations present local insights during this year’s country visits.

Balazs Denes, Executive Director of Liberties, said: “As far-right populism rises and democracy backslides in the U.S., Europe's rule of law crisis deepens. Growing far-right influence threatens EU unity, while Russia’s war in Ukraine and rapidly transforming transatlantic ties test the bloc’s resilience. To safeguard the EU, and the rules-based world, the European Commission must strengthen the rule of law enforcement—linking it directly to Article 7, budgetary conditionality, and infringement proceedings.”.

Key Country-cohort Insights

“The Weakest Link”: In Hungary, already the worst performer for years, significant regression was detected
across the board including renewed campaigns by the “hybrid regime” against judicial independence, civil society organisations, public participation and media freedom.
“Dismantlers”: Governments of Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia systematically, intentionally
undermine the rule of law in nearly all aspects.
“Sliders”: Role-model democracies like Belgium, France, Germany, or Sweden demonstrated isolated but
still troubling decline in a few dimensions risking lower standards will be followed by more.
“Stagnators”: Greece, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, and Spain stagnate or made only minimal progress
in their rule of law indicators.
“Hard Workers”: Estonia and the Czech Republic show signs of genuine and systemic efforts of
improvement highlighting the successful role of civil society in achieving positive change.
“The Cautionary Tale”: Poland, where the new government has attempted to restore judicial independence
and media pluralism without major progress, illustrates that addressing the compromised independence of institutions is an extremely challenging and fragile endeavor.

Key Insights on Bulgaria

Judicial System: There has been no progress in establishing an independent accountability mechanism for the Chief Prosecutor and their deputies, nor in reforming the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council. Despite legislative initiatives, the judiciary remains dysfunctional, and corruption cases involving high-ranking politicians do not result in criminal liability.
Anti-Corruption: Anti-corruption institutions are used as tools to attack political and business opponents rather than to fight corruption. Investigations, prosecutions, and convictions in high-level corruption cases remain impossible in the current political environment.
Media Environment and Media Freedom: Political instability has blocked regulatory reforms in the media sector, leading to stagnation. The Council of Europe's recommendation from last year to ensure transparency in state advertising allocation remains unimplemented.
Checks and Balances: The mechanisms for mutual control and restraint across all three branches of government are severely compromised. Due to political negotiations and backroom deals, many key institutional positions remain vacant or are occupied by individuals serving past their term. At the beginning of 2025, a government was formed, including both established and emerging populist political parties, raising concerns that party interests will take precedence over the public interest in governance.
Civil Society: A new law against the "propaganda and promotion of non-traditional sexual orientation" has restricted NGOs’ access to schools. There have also been attempts to pass legislation requiring active citizens to register as "foreign agents" and regulating advocacy activities in the civil sector.
Disregard for Human Rights Obligations and Other Systemic Issues Affecting the Rule of Law: Bulgaria does not implement key rulings of the European Court of Human Rights due to the absence of a stable legal framework obligating institutions to comply. There are also no specific sanctions for failing to execute court decisions.

Key Insights on Europe

The justice system still suffers from political manipulation, insufficient resources, and barriers to legal aid, which undermines its independence, quality and efficiency.
In the realm of anti-corruption, there is a persistent lack of transparency, weak law enforcement, and
inadequate protection of whistleblowers, leading to eroded trust in governmental integrity.
Media freedom remains under threat, as political influence compromises the independence of regulatory
bodies and concentrated ownership stifles pluralism, with journalists facing increasing harassment and legal challenges.
Checks and balances are further weakened by the overuse of fast-track legislative processes, political interference in independent authorities, and compromised integrity of the electoral system, which erode the democratic and legal control over the government.
Civic space continues to shrink, with widespread smear campaigns emboldening governments to adopt
restrictive laws in particular on the right to peaceful protest and freedom of association.
Human rights are under increasing pressure, with stricter migration policies, inadequate protections for
vulnerable groups, and rising discrimination and hate speech impacting minorities across the region.

You can find the report on Bulgaria here.

The full Rule of Law Report 2025 on the state of the rule of law in Europe, published by Liberties, is available here.