Over the past months, as rapporteur, I have worked on a comprehensive report examining transnational repression in Europe and proposing concrete measures to counter it. Following intensive negotiations, the report was put to a vote this week in the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and adopted with a broad majority.
Transnational repression is not a marginal phenomenon — it is a systematic tool of authoritarian power projection. According to Freedom House, more than 1,300 cases across over 100 countries were documented between 2014 and 2025, carried out by 57 different states. The actual number is likely significantly higher — and the trend is rising.
This form of repression has long since reached Europe. It does not only manifest itself through direct threats or physical violence, but often through more subtle means: digital surveillance, targeted intimidation, the abuse of judicial and administrative systems, or pressure exerted on family members in the country of origin.
The report provides a comprehensive analysis of these mechanisms and structures and outlines how we can better protect those affected and more effectively prevent transnational repression.
Our key demands include:
- Zero tolerance for transnational repression in Europe: No space for intimidation by authoritarian regimes
- Recognising transnational repression as a systemic problem: Not isolated incidents, but a deliberate political strategy
- A common EU definition: Essential for effective prosecution, data collection, and sanctions
- Stronger European coordination: Clear responsibilities and closer cooperation across institutions and member states
- Greater visibility: EU-wide monitoring and improved documentation of cases
- Comprehensive victim protection: Access to legal, practical, and psychological support
- Countering digital repression: Holding platforms and technology providers more accountable
- Clear consequences for perpetrators: Strengthening sanctions, criminal prosecution, and international accountability
This vote marks an important milestone. The next step will follow in June, when the report will be debated in plenary in Strasbourg and put to a final vote.
After that, we have to focus on its implementation to turn these recommendations into action — decisively, collectively, and across Europe. Only then can Europe remain a place of freedom and safety for everyone who lives here.
