The rule of law anchors accountable government. It limits power, protects rights, and shields institutions from capture. Across Central and Eastern Europe, reformers and illiberal leaders now fight over it. They clash on judicial independence, anti-corruption, and constitutional checks. This hub follows those fights. It tracks threats to independent courts. It covers the erosion of checks and balances. It follows corruption and state capture. Anti-corruption drives aim to claw back captured institutions. Efforts to restore checks and balances test how far reform can go. State capture remains the core risk in several member states. The EU rule of law framework and European Union values anchor the defense of democracy. EU rule of law rules also tie EU funds to reform. Fellows and analysts show where reform holds and where it bends. Explore analysis and commentary on the rule of law, judicial independence, and anti-corruption.
Rule of Law
The new prime minister is moving swiftly to uproot the old regime and to ensure Hungarians understand its excesses.
No Result Found
May 15, 2026
Europe Can Coax Albanian Reform
Protests in Albania have reignited arguments about endemic corruption. Can Europe help provide a remedy?
April 24, 2026
No Adult in the Room: The Crisis in Ukraine’s Parliament
The dismissal of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man after a corruption scandal has led to a parliamentary crisis in Ukraine.
April 23, 2026
Orbán Lost But Populism is Still Winning
The defeat of Hungary’s longtime leader has been seen by some as a watershed for European populism. But it still threatens a collective continental security policy.
April 15, 2026
A Hidden Plague: Russia’s Sex Trafficking of Ukrainians
Western nations can do more to stop criminal gangs forcing Ukrainians into sexual slavery.
April 15, 2026
Hungary’s Magyar in His Own Words
Hungary’s prime minister-elect has made a barrage of statements since his landslide election victory on April 12.
April 13, 2026
Chaos at the ICC
The International Criminal Court has suffered one public blow after another, with growing questions about its ability to govern itself.
April 13, 2026
Hungary: First the Party, Now the Minefield
Hungary’s premier-elect will have a honeymoon but tricky problems await.
April 13, 2026
Hungary’s New Dawn: A Packed Agenda for Péter Magyar
As opposition supporters shake off the hangovers from a night of joy, the new government faces a mountain of problems.
March 26, 2026
Europe’s Democratic Backsliding Is Spreading Like Malware
The danger is not only that Slovakia is becoming Hungary. It is that Orbán's style of politics is prevailing across all of Europe.