EU Commission democracy report critical of Poland, Hungary

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive arm has issued a damning report on the state of democracy in Hungary and Poland. The European Commission depicted a bleak situation in the two countries in its first report on adherence to the rule of law across the EU. Its wide-ranging audit released Wednesday found that prosecution of high-level corruption in Hungary “remains very limited.” The report deemed Poland deficient in the four main areas reviewed by the commission: national justice systems, anti-corruption frameworks, media freedom and checks and balances. The report was published a day before the leaders of the EU’s member nations meet for a two-day summit. It could have repercussions for ongoing discussions on the bloc’s long-term budget.