Rule of Law Report 2025
The most important findings at a glance
In July 2025, the EU Commission published its Rule of Law Report for the year 2025. While some countries in south-eastern Europe were formally certified as having made progress, the reality on the ground is often more complex. Albania, for example, has completed initial judicial vetting and adopted a new justice strategy, yet faces persistent administrative backlogs, unfilled positions, and political interference that undermine these reforms. Similarly, Bulgaria experiences repeated legislative and constitutional deadlocks that obstruct essential judicial reforms, with continued disproportionate influence of the Prosecutor General and Parliament over the judiciary. Public and business perceptions of corruption remain high everywhere, with anti-corruption efforts yielding minimal high-level convictions despite institutional restructuring.
Across the region, a critical perspective reveals that legislative changes often mask deeper, unresolved issues. In Croatia, public trust in the justice system remains low, despite active oversight bodies. Montenegro's judiciary has seen a significant plummet in public trust, alongside staffing gaps and growing case backlogs. North Macedonia's judicial reforms are hampered by poor coordination, funding, and staffing shortages, leading to low public trust and growing case backlogs. In Serbia, persistent political interference and staffing shortfalls fuel a lack of public confidence in the judiciary. Media freedom faces challenges, including concentrated ownership with political ties, lack of transparency in state advertising, and intimidation of journalists. For all these countries, progress is fragile and susceptible to reversal without deeper, consistent enforcement, and demonstrable improvements in judicial independence, media freedom, and institutional checks and balances.
