Some of the European Union’s more conservative member states have again come under scrutiny from the leftist NGO Civil Liberties Union for Europe, which has described a handful of countries as “dismantlers” that are actively weakening the rule of law.

The organisation predictably receives funding from the European Commission, through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme—a programme described by critics as ideologically driven.

‘Liberties’ also gets cash from the Open Society Foundations, established by George Soros and now run by his son, Alex. The controversial foundation has also handed “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to various groups seeking to claim reparations from Britain for slavery and colonialism.

In its latest (seventh) annual rule of law report, Liberties says “concerted dismantling and cumulative decline sum up the state of the rule of law across large parts of the EU and increasingly within the European Institutions themselves.”

Mainstream media coverage has largely focused on Hungary’s designation as a “dismantler”—just weeks before a key national election that establishment figures are terrified Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could win.

But Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, and, perhaps most notably, Italy also made it onto the list. The report says they “represent the most serious concern, as these countries are actively eroding rule of law institutions.”

Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, and Sweden have all been identified as “sliders,” where rule of law conditions are supposedly worsening.

Liberties’ last (2025) report was similar to its latest, in that it also praised left-liberal governments for their alleged efforts to defend the rule of law. Next year’s will no doubt paint the same old picture once again.