Commissioner McGrath: EC's 2025 Rule of Law Report will tackle cancellation of Romania's presidential election

  In the preparation of its 2025 Rule of Law Report, the European Commission will take into account the issue of the cancellation of the Romanian presidential election, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath said on Tuesday at a press conference at the end of the General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting.The participants in the GAC meeting discussed the European Commission's 2024 Rule of Law Report on Romania, Portugal, Hungary and Slovenia and the recommendations included in the document, as part of the specific dialogue on the rule of law in all 27 EU member states.We had a discussion on a number of issues concerning Romania as one of the four countries that was in focus at the Council today. The discussion was mainly on the 2024 Rule of Law Report and the recommendations. Romania took the opportunity to present its perspective on what it will do to follow up on those recommendations and, of course, the Commission will take this into account in the preparation of the 2025 report. I think it is really an ideal opportunity for us to examine all the developments since the beginning of the 2024 reporting period. So, we look forward to doing this and in parallel to developing the Democracy Shield, the scope of which is to improve and deepen cooperation between member states through the European Cooperation Network on Elections, while recognizing the autonomy and competence of member states to manage the conduct of their own elections. So, we will definitely look at this issue in the context of the 2025 report, said European Commissioner Michael McGrath, answering a journalist's question on the transparency of the cancellation of Romania's presidential election.Speaking on behalf of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, European Affairs Minister Adam Szlapka said that he is working closely with the Commission on the Democracy Shield, which is intended to combat foreign interference in the EU electoral process.In relation to the four member states we discussed today - Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia - the 2024 report highlighted both positive and negative developments, making appropriate recommendations, and providing the basis for today's exchange of views between the ministers, said Michael McGrath.He referred to the specific case of Hungary, which is subject to a procedure under Article 7 of the EU Treaty that was activated by the European Parliament in September 2018, and around which concerns still persist.As I reiterated today, the Commission stands ready to support Member States in their efforts to implement the recommendations of the annual Rule of Law Report and let me note that we are currently well in the process of the preparation of the 2025 edition of the document, said Commissioner McGrath.The Rule of Law Report is part of a broader effort to boost the EU's competitiveness, which is a key priority of the European Commission in its current mandate.Our economy is competitive when our citizens and businesses are protected by an independent judiciary and it adds value in terms of competitive advantage, which is why a single market dimension will be added to the 2025 Rule of Law Report, explained the EU official.Another point of discussion at the CAG meeting was democracy within the EU, the importance of protecting the integrity of elections, in particular from foreign interference. The EU's executive body considers that addressing this issue is an urgent matter and is committed to strengthening Europe's resilience to external threats to the member states' democratic processes.According to Michael McGrath, defending democratic institutions, protecting free and fair elections and using all the tools at the disposal of the institutions, including the European Commission, for example through the Digital Services Act, must be an imperative for the EU and the member states.The next country-specific discussion is expected to take place at the May 27 General Affairs Council meeting, which will focus on Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and Belgium.