Brussels berates Italy, Hungary and Slovakia for rule-of-law decline

Italy, Hungary and Slovakia have come under fire over their continued decline in democratic standards, which threatens the effective prosecution of corruption, the independence of the judicial system and the safety of journalists.

The three countries fared badly in the new edition of the Rule of Law report, released every year by the European Commission. The extensive report examines all member states and offers tailored recommendations to address deficiencies and close loopholes.

"Protecting the rule of law is a continuous work," Vera Jourová, the Commission's vice-president for values and transparency, said on Wednesday while presenting the main findings. "We see that further action is still needed."

The report is "neither naming or shaming, nor praising anyone," she added, calling it a "preventive tool" to foster dialogue and raise awareness.

Still, the exercise inevitably creates a magnified lens over certain countries suspected of drifting away from EU norms.

This year, Italy is urged to do more to ensure the proper funding of public media, protect the professional secrecy of journalists and reform its defamation regime.

The call comes amid concerns in Italy over the growing political influence in the media sector, alleged episodes of censorship, the harassment of critical voices and the potential acquisition of the AGI news agency by a far-right legislator. In May, reporters at RAI, the public broadcaster, went on strike to protest what they described as the "suffocating control" exerted by Giorgia Meloni's government over editorial content.

Meloni has filed legal cases against several reporters who have made scathing remarks about her. Last week, a journalist was ordered to pay €5,000 in damages for mocking the prime