BRUSSELS — Hungary has made virtually no progress in addressing European Union concerns about democratic backsliding over the last year, the EU’s justice commissioner said Tuesday, as he unveiled the bloc’s annual rule of law report.
The section on Hungary highlighted concern about party financing, secret surveillance, media pluralism, the excessive use of government emergency powers, as well as pressure put on judges and members of civil society, among other shortcomings.
The only positive noted was “significant progress” in increasing the salaries of judges, prosecutors and other legal staff. But even that was done without proper consideration for “European standards on remuneration for the justice system.”
“It is deeply disappointing that we’re not in a position to report further progress on the recommendations that have been made last year,” Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath told reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
“We stand ready to take further steps, in