Sophie Wilmès elected Chair of the DRFMG, the European Parliament working group dedicated to monitoring respect for the rule of law within the EU

On Thursday 21 November, Sophie Wilmès, Vice-President of the European Parliament, was elected Chair of the DRFMG (Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group).

The group was set up in 2018 following the murders of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée. Following these terrible events, it became clear that there was a need to create a permanent structure to enable continuous and specific monitoring of respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights within the European Parliament.

The aim of this group is to carry out an impartial, objective, and continuous analysis of specific and systemic violations of the rule of law and fundamental rights within the European Union, as well as to reflect on broad issues such as the fight against corruption and the tools available to us to respond to infringements upon our values as set out in Article 2 of the TEU, namely dignity, freedom, equality, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.

In concrete terms, protecting the rule of law means, for example, fighting corruption, ensuring that every citizen has access to justice, and protecting media freedom.

The objectives of the Group’s new Chair are clear: to continue the dialogue with the Member States, to keep a constant watch on any violations of the rule of law that may occur, to develop expertise based on visits to the field, and to initiate a real reflection on the existing toolbox within the Union for reacting to any observed violations.

“Defending our values and our fundamental rights has always been at the heart of my political commitment. It is this foundation that provides the impetus to act, to protect citizens when their most basic rights are violated, but also to ensure that public money is managed transparently and responsibly. I intend to use this mandate to develop a proactive approach, based on dialogue but also on action. We must ensure that the European Union remains credible in its defence of democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights.”