The European Union unveiled its “New Strategic EU-India Agenda” this week, setting out a range of areas for closer bilateral cooperation. The document hails India as the “world’s largest democracy” and a “like-minded and trusted partner,” but deliberately overlooks India’s deepening human rights crisis.
Strengthening EU-India trade, economic, and political ties has long been among EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s top priorities. In pursuit of that goal, she has imposed EU silence over India’s authoritarian drift – of which those providing EU services are well aware.
Violence and discrimination against religious minorities, often fueled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, have been normalized. Human Rights Watch has documentedunlawful expulsions and illegal demolitions of private property on religious grounds, assaults, arbitrary arrests, the use ofcounterterrorism and other laws and measures against civil society and diaspora critics, threats to critical media, and abusive internet shutdowns to curb criticism and protests. Indian human rights defenders, independent journalists, and civil society activists face a climate of fear and intimidation. And India’s national human rights commission faces a likely international downgrade.
The European Parliament and human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over the EU’s silence on these abuses, yet von der Leyen’s pursuit of an uncritical charm offensive, as seen in her personal interactions with Modi, speeches, and social media posts, has permeated the new strategic agenda. Several EU governments, including France, Germany, and Italy, support that approach, eyeing lucrative business deals amid growing global economic uncertainty.
But EU leaders should seriously reflect on the long-term impact of continuing to give Modi a free pass. Ignoring India’s unchecked drift toward authoritarianism is hard to reconcile with the EU’s stated ambition of distancing Modi from Russia and China.
The EU Commission and member states should break their silence over Indian government abuses and pursue a “more for more” approach, linking progress on bilateral relations to human rights progress and benchmarks, and securing binding and enforceable human rights provisions in the ongoing trade negotiations. Conversely, India should raise concerns over the EU’s abusive migration policies, crackdown on peaceful protests, and deteriorating rule of law in some EU countries.
So long as the EU touts India’s status as the “world’s largest democracy,” both need to embrace bilateral relations with mutual scrutiny and promoting greater respect for human rights.