Fundamental rights at risk in the EU: the European Parliament sounds the alarm

From our correspondent in Strasburg – The danger of the EU’s current situation lies in a setback for rights. In today’s plenary session (29 April), the European Parliament approved a report that paints a “worrying” picture of the state of fundamental rights in the Union for the period 2024–2025. The document, adopted with 328 votes in favour, 199 against, and 98 abstentions, highlights that divergent national interpretations of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights result in an application that the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs describes as “inconsistent and inadequate.” MEPs’ main concerns relate to several areas: gender-based violence, borders and migration, and disinformation. 

MEPs are calling for “stronger” action against gender-based violence and discrimination, condemning conversion therapy and setbacks faced by the LGBTIQ+ community, and also emphasising the need to protect sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

The report condemns the mistreatment of migrants and violence at external borders: it calls for coordinated search and rescue operations and urges Member States to ensure that the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum complies with international agreements on fundamental rights and, in particular, the principle of non-refoulement: enshrined in international humanitarian law, this guarantees that no one, regardless of their migration status, may be returned to a country where they would be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. 

Finally, there are concerns about political interference in the judiciary, the shrinking of civic space, and threats to journalists’ safety. 

The rapporteur for the report, Anna Strolenberg, has issued a call for political will: “This report is not abstract; it concerns real lives: fundamental rights must remain non-negotiable. The question is whether the Commission and the Member States have the political will to protect the most vulnerable.” 

During the debate in the chamber, the PD MEP, Marco Tarquino, highlighted the identity-defining value of these principles, stating: “Fundamental rights are essential to our very identity as Europeans.” Ilaria Salis (The Left) also spoke, stating: “Fundamental rights are increasingly under attack in Europe: in times of crisis and war, even democratic forces risk accepting too many watered-down compromises.”