The European Commission acknowledged incremental progress by Greece in strengthening the rule of law but concluded that several long-standing concerns remain largely unresolved, particularly in judicial efficiency, transparency, media freedom and the operating environment for civil society, according to its 2026 Rule of Law Report.
The Commission found that three of the four key recommendations it issued last year remain only partially implemented, indicating that reforms have advanced unevenly despite legislative initiatives undertaken by the government. As in previous editions, the report evaluates all 27 EU member states across four pillars: the justice system, the anti-corruption framework, media pluralism and freedom, and institutional checks and balances.
A dedicated section examines Greece’s long-running Predator spyware affair. The Commission highlighted the February 2026 conviction of four individuals linked to companies that marketed the Predator surveillance software, including Intellexa and Krikel, for offenses involving violations of communications secrecy and unlawful access to personal data. The ruling, which victims described as a significant step toward accountability, is under appeal, with a second-instance trial scheduled for December.
At the same time, the report noted the April 2026 decision by the prosecutor of the Supreme Court not to reopen the broader investigation into the spyware scandal, concluding that newly submitted evidence was insufficient to justify further criminal proceedings. The Commission presented both developments as illustrating continued judicial scrutiny while emphasizing that accountability questions surrounding the surveillance affair remain under close observation.
Beyond the spyware case, Brussels reiterated concerns over the pace of justice, safeguards for journalists, transparency in public administration and the environment in which civil society organizations operate. It also urged Greece to continue implementing reforms aimed at strengthening judicial independence and improving anti-corruption mechanisms.
Compared with other EU member states, Greece was not singled out as among the bloc’s most serious rule-of-law offenders, a category generally associated with countries such as Hungary and Slovakia in recent European assessments. However, it also did not rank among the stronger performers, remaining in a middle tier of countries where the Commission sees persistent structural shortcomings requiring continued monitoring and follow-up. Same-day coverage by major European media similarly portrayed Greece as a country showing incremental improvements while continuing to face recurring criticism over media freedom, judicial effectiveness and institutional accountability rather than experiencing the systemic deterioration identified elsewhere in the EU.
