The Right Way to Handle Hungary’s Illiberalism

Say this much about the European Union: It rarely runs out of crises. In Sweden, the far right just moved closer to power. In eastern Europe it’s already there, and populist governments are flouting democratic norms and daring Brussels to stop them. The EU’s leaders must respond to the threat of illiberalism — but they should be careful not to overreach.

Punitive steps that aim to isolate democratically elected governments in countries such as Poland and Hungary will do more harm than good — by pitting member states against each other and encouraging nationalist politicians to rally their supporters against Brussels. That doesn’t mean the EU is powerless. Coordinated measures to call out potential violations of the rule of law before they occur are the best way to prevent the illiberal contagion from spreading.