Rule of law declined in over two thirds of EU countries, World Justice Project says

The rule of law decreased in over two thirds of EU countries in 2025, according to an index published on Tuesday by the World Justice Project.

The rule of law can be defined as a durable system of laws, institutions, norms and community commitment that delivers four universal principles: accountability, just law, open government and accessible and impartial justice.

Out of the 27 EU member states, Bulgaria and Hungary scored lowest on the index.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, eight EU countries ranked among the top 10 globally in the Rule of Law Index, including Germany, Sweden and Estonia. Denmark retained it top position worldwide.

In 2025, Slovakia and Hungary saw the sharpest declines.

"All eight of the factors are declining for Hungary. So it really ranges from declines in constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, civil justice, criminal justice, regulatory enforcement, and order and security", Alicia Evangelides, Director of the Rule of Law Index, told Euronews.

The largest increases were observed in Ireland and Poland.

"The global trend that we're seeing is declines in constraints on government powers, fundamental rights, and open government. Ireland and Poland are both showing improvements in all of those factors," Evangelides said.