Greece among the lowest in Europe for Rule of Law, report finds
According to the 2025 Rule of Law Index published by the World Justice Project (WJP), an independent U.S.-based organization, Greece ranks 48th out of 143 countries worldwide and 29th out of 31 European countries, placing it ahead of only Bulgaria and Hungary within Europe.
The report highlights a continued decline in the rule of law in Greece in recent years, citing issues such as political interference in the judiciary, weakening judicial independence, and lengthy court proceedings.
It also points to restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of association, and civic participation, noting that democratic institutions in the country are becoming increasingly fragile and unreliable.
Commenting on the findings, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated:
“The latest 2025 index published by the WJP, which works to advance the rule of law globally, has once again exposed the systematic violations of the rule of law and the problems related to judicial independence in our country, Greece.
The Turkish minority of Western Thrace is among the most directly affected by the restrictions on freedom of association. Despite three rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Bekir Usta and Others case group, our country has failed to implement them for over 17 years.
Moreover, in June 2025, Greece was condemned once again by the ECHR for violating the right to freedom of association in the case brought by the Turkish Women’s Cultural Association of İskeçe.
Greece must fully and effectively implement all ECHR judgments concerning our associations and immediately end its policy of denying the Turkish identity of our community, in line with the core values of the European Union and the Council of Europe, which it is a member of.”
