The EU Commission continues to criticize "systemic" deficits in the rule of law in Poland and Hungary.

This emerges from the annual report on the rule of law in all 27 member states, which Commissioners Věra Jourová and Didier Reynders presented on Wednesday.

"Serious concerns remain about the independence of the Polish judiciary," says the chapter on Poland.

It is said about Hungary that the country did not take into account the concerns in previous rule-of-law reports.

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.

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The so-called Article 7 procedures to review the rule of law are not the only things that are running against both countries.

You have not received any money from the Corona reconstruction fund due to a lack of reforms.

Proceedings to protect the EU budget have also been opened against Hungary.

The report offers no arguments to adopt a softer course.

Jourová recently openly opposed releasing reconstruction funds for Warsaw after the commission approved the country's reconstruction plan and the government committed to reforming disciplinary laws.

The two commissioners responsible for the topic were overruled at the instigation of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In the report, the Commission once again questions the independence of the National Judicial Council in Poland, which also plays a central role in the selection of judges after the reform.

The members of the body are appointed by Parliament, but only candidates proposed by the government majority are considered.

Reynders diplomatically said on Wednesday there was "room for improvement" in the implementation of the Polish reform.

Officially, it is still being examined by the Commission.

She only has to disclose her verdict when Warsaw requests payment of the first billion tranche.

The Commission is still negotiating the country's reconstruction plan with Hungary.

The government in Budapest has promised a number of measures to curb widespread corruption.

At the same time, a procedure is underway that would allow the country to cut funds from the regular EU budget for the first time.

The Commission is required to submit concrete recommendations by the end of the month.

Wednesday's report shows no progress on this issue and criticizes many other shortcomings that have been known for years.

Germany should pay its judges better

Nevertheless, Jourová emphasized the "preventive character" of the report, which will form the basis of debates in the Council of Member States and in the future also in Parliament.

For the first time, the Commission has linked its analysis to recommendations for reform.

Four to eight general points resulting from the analysis are listed for each country.

One official admitted that this was not a revolution.

According to the report, there are long-term problems in Germany with the recruitment of personnel and the low level of judges' salaries.

The country should orient itself to European standards in the national "Pact for the Rule of Law".

The Commission also sees room for improvement when it comes to politicians moving into business.

Approval procedures must be more transparent, the “cooling down period” for ministers and state secretaries in the federal government must be longer.

The involvement of lobbyists in laws should be disclosed more.

The right of journalists to information from federal authorities should be enshrined in law.

In principle, however, the Commission attests that Germany has an efficient judiciary that enjoys a high level of trust.

More than 75 percent of the population responded accordingly in a survey, as did in Finland, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

In contrast, less than 30 percent of respondents in Slovakia, Poland and Croatia trust their judges.