Written question – Selective enforcement of the rule of law: double standards – E-001886/2025

Question for written answer  E-001886/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)

The rule of law is a core foundation of the European Union. However, the recently established selective enforcement thereof by the European Commission raises concerns about the uniform and fair treatment of Member States. Hungary and Poland have repeatedly been at the centre of sanctions and interventions, while similar – or even more serious – issues in other Member States are not addressed with the same severity. This unequal treatment raises concerns about the way in which European mechanisms are being applied.

In view of the above, can the Commission say:

• 1.Considering that the Commission tolerates breaches of the rule of law in some Western governments, but at the same time imposes disproportionate sanctions on Central and Eastern European states, how does it justify its different attitudes towards different Member States?
• 2.On the basis of what objective criteria does it decide to activate the rule of law conditionality mechanism and how does it ensure that this mechanism does not become a tool for political pressure against governments that are not aligned with the overarching political agenda of Brussels?
• 3.What steps does it intend to take to restore its credibility as a neutral institutional guarantor, in order to ensure that there are no double standards in the enforcement of the rule of law between the Member States?

Submitted: 12.5.2025