Defending Democracy, Upholding Values

The European Union grapples with a democracy and rule of law crisis in a growing number of Member States, notably in Hungary, Slovakia, Italy and Greece, and until recently also in Poland, threatening the very foundation of the European Union.

With illiberal and Eurosceptic governments taking power across Europe, our Group has been at the forefront of initiatives to tackle the ongoing crisis, ensure compliance with European values and assemble a broad coalition to counter autocratic tendencies.

In the face of the growing threats against democracy and the independence of the judiciary in several Member States, Renew Europe proposes concrete measures that would enable the Union to have a stronger, coordinated EU response to counter these attacks.

Key elements of our 10-point action plan include the extension of the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism to cover all EU funding programmes and the introduction of 'smart conditionality', which will allow EU funds to bypass governments that undermine the rule of law and instead support communities and civil society organisations working to uphold European values.

It also proposes the creation of a single EU mechanism for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights to ensure coordinated annual monitoring across Member States with links to concrete EU action. It further proposes to extend the mandate and funding of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to fight corruption, and to create a new fund to restore the rule of law and support civil society initiatives.

Yet, threats to democracy remain pressing. In the United States, Donald Trump has openly questioned continued support for Europe, putting transatlantic security at risk and emboldening authoritarian forces. Meanwhile, in Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s government has taken another step toward suppressing fundamental freedoms by banning Budapest Pride in 2025—an alarming escalation in his assault on civil rights. Across the world, we see democratic norms being eroded, independent media silenced, and disinformation weaponized to undermine trust in institutions.

This is why Renew Europe remains committed to standing against democratic erosion. We will continue to push for stringent rule-of-law conditionality in EU funding, defend the independence of the judiciary, and strengthen protections for journalists and activists. Autocratic leaders cannot be allowed to chip away at democracy while benefiting from EU support.

“If we fail to protect the rule of law, we fail to safeguard the very foundation on which the EU was built.”

Moritz Körner MEP (FDP, Germany)