Europe's Democratic Foundations Face Unprecedented Threat from Far-Right Tactics
The fundamental principles of the rule of law are facing systematic erosion across Europe, with far-right political movements deploying sophisticated strategies to undermine civil society organizations and democratic discourse. Research reveals that five European Union governments have been found to 'consistently' dismantle rule of law protections, creating a continent-wide crisis that threatens the very fabric of democratic governance.
Germany's Civil Society Under Coordinated Attack
In Germany, traditionally considered a bastion of democratic stability, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has dramatically escalated its targeting of left-leaning non-governmental organizations. According to research by progressive pressure group Campact, the AfD filed 295 parliamentary queries specifically targeting NGOs last year – more than double the number recorded in 2024. While parliamentary queries represent a legitimate form of democratic oversight, campaigners argue that this volume, combined with consistent insinuations about NGOs' protected status and public funding, constitutes systematic harassment and intimidation.
Pauline Voss, deputy editor of the rightwing media outlet Nius, which aspires to become Germany's equivalent of Fox News, has articulated a perspective increasingly common among far-right circles. She claims progressive civil society groups are engaged in a coordinated campaign 'against their own population,' arguing that what once served as a counterweight to state institutions now functions as 'an extension of the state.' This rhetoric, critics warn, represents a dangerous reframing of democratic participation as opposition to popular will.
Hungary's Illiberal Democracy Sets Dangerous Precedent
The situation in Hungary under Viktor Orbán's leadership demonstrates how far rule of law degradation can progress within the European Union framework. Orbán has systematically packed courts with loyal judges, transformed media into propaganda outlets, and implemented policies that effectively ban LGBTQ+ marches while blacklisting NGOs receiving even minimal foreign funding. Targeted tax audits, media smear campaigns, and legal traps have made dissent prohibitively difficult, creating what Orbán himself has termed an 'illiberal democracy.'
As Hungary approaches a crucial general election on 12 April, where Orbán faces potential defeat after more than a decade in power, his methods have provided a blueprint for similar tactics across Europe. The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) identifies weakening checks and balances as the area of greatest concern in its 2026 rule of law report, noting that independent institutions holding governments accountable, access to information, and civil society organization represent essential democratic safeguards now under threat.
Political Pressure Intensifies Across Europe
The targeting of civil society extends beyond far-right parties to include mainstream political forces. In Germany, just one day after Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU won the 2025 general election, the party submitted a formal parliamentary inquiry containing more than 550 detailed questions about the financing of groups including Greenpeace and Omas gegen Rechts (Grannies against the Right). These organizations had demonstrated during the election campaign against what they described as the CDU's lurch to the right.
Kerstin Neurohr of Grannies against the Right expressed shock at the inquiry, telling German media: 'We were speechless and angry. And each of us realized: our work will remain necessary for the foreseeable future; somehow, things are just getting worse.' Critics noted disturbing parallels with repressive measures against civil society in Hungary and Slovakia, both governed by nationalist, authoritarian administrations.
Italy's Security Crackdown Criminalizes Protest
In Italy, Giorgia Meloni's ruling coalition has made restoring 'law and order' a priority since taking office in October 2022. In April last year, the government pushed through a draconian new security bill by decree, bypassing normal political and technical debate. The legislation introduced a range of new crimes affecting activists, minorities, and government opponents, further criminalizing various forms of peaceful protest and passive resistance.
A second security bill, drafted after violent clashes in Turin over the eviction of a left-wing social centre, allows police to detain people suspected of being potential agitators for up to 12 hours – before protests have even begun. Late last year, the far-right Lega party of deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini tabled a third security bill with 14 additional provisions further criminalizing protest and dissent, including requiring demonstration organizers to provide deposits covering potential damages.
Riccardo Magi, president of the leftwing party Più Europa, warned that these developments show clear evidence of 'a shift towards illiberalism,' while Angelo Bonelli, an MP for the Green-Left Alliance, described them as 'a serious violation of the constitutional right to demonstrate.'
Mediterranean Rescue Operations Targeted
Meloni's government, led by her Brothers of Italy party with neo-fascist roots, has also moved aggressively against civil society groups operating search and rescue ships in the Mediterranean. A series of government decrees has resulted in the 'administrative detention' of rescue vessels and support aircraft, accompanied by stiff economic sanctions against operating organizations. In July last year, 32 search and rescue NGOs reported spending a total of '960 days in port, instead of rescuing lives at sea' due to these restrictions.
While these policies have reduced the number of people arriving in Italy by boat, deaths at sea remain alarmingly high, raising serious humanitarian concerns about the human cost of political measures targeting civil society organizations.
France and Poland: Contrasting Approaches
In France, more than 30 leading NGOs including Greenpeace and Oxfam signed an open letter in July warning of a 'worrying' trend where civil society groups face routine 'threats, surveillance and defamation' in what appears to be a coordinated campaign of intimidation. The government has employed 'administrative dissolutions' – a measure originally devised in the 1930s to combat fascist leagues – against several citizen movements, including environmental activists and a pro-Palestine group.
Route restrictions, outright bans on demonstrations, police violence, and withdrawal of public subsidies or premises contribute to what signatories described as 'a dangerous restriction of civic space.'
Meanwhile, Poland serves as a reminder of civil society's vital role in democratic resilience. After eight years of nationalist rule by the Law and Justice (PiS) government, civil society organizations have played crucial roles in upholding standards and sounding alarms about democratic backsliding. As the French NGO letter stated, these organizations represent 'the beating heart of our democracies' that 'raise awareness, protect, and defend the public interest.'
Freedom of Assembly Under Pressure
Parallel to growing political pressure on civil society organizations, Germany has implemented what Liberties calls 'massive restrictions on the freedom of expression and assembly,' particularly affecting climate and Palestine solidarity demonstrations. Groups critical of the government's support for Israel and its war in Gaza have denounced heavy-handed tactics restricting protest rights, with clashes between police and demonstrators becoming common at pro-Palestinian rallies in Berlin.
Authorities have accused activists of creating an 'aggressive atmosphere,' but participants and observers have repeatedly denounced what they describe as excessive and unprovoked attacks against protesters by police using pepper spray, water cannon, batons, and hand grips deliberately intended to cause pain.
A Call to Resist Normalized Repression
Facing what appears to be a Europe-wide trend toward 'the normalization of repression,' where 'the defense of human rights is increasingly equated to extremism,' civil society organizations across the continent are issuing urgent calls to action. As the French letter-writers emphasized, the time has come 'to raise our heads and resist, together' against systematic efforts to undermine democratic checks and balances.
The rule of law, defined as the set of standards ensuring no one is above the law and everyone receives equal treatment according to democratic values and fundamental rights, depends fundamentally on independent institutions, free media, and vibrant civil society. As these pillars face coordinated attacks across Europe, the continent's democratic future hangs in the balance.
