Think Tank: Democracy declines globally
An international think tank reported on Thursday that the level of democracy is decreasing in nearly half of the world's countries, including some nations with historically strong democratic traditions.
In a report from Agence France Presse, the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) explained 85 out of the 173 countries surveyed have experienced a decline in at least one crucial democratic performance indicator over the past five years.
The report's assessment relied on several criteria, encompassing civil liberties, judicial autonomy, and political engagement. It categorized these criteria into four overarching groups: representation, rights, rule of law, and participation.
"Many established democracies are experiencing setbacks... ranging from declines in social group equality in the United States, freedom of the press in Austria, and access to justice in the United Kingdom," the report said.
Michael Runey, program officer and one of the authors of "The Global State of Democracy 2023" report, told AFP this is the sixth year that we've seen more countries with democratic declines than improvements.
The organization pointed out that this six-year trend marks the lengthiest period of a "democratic recession" ever recorded since it began collecting data in 1975. Additionally, the report highlighted a weakening in the rule of law, characterized by the independence of courts and the reduction of political violence in countries like Austria, Hungary, and Peru, signaling a concerning trend in the erosion of the fundamental principles of democracy worldwide.
The report issued a stern warning that the foundations of democracy are eroding on a global scale. While these declines were evident across various regions, Africa, in particular, faced a wave of coups d'etat. In terms of human rights, the report observed declines in freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, though the overall decrease was not significant.
The rule of law category did see some improvements after years of stagnant corruption levels, but the situation was described as "not unambiguously positive." Furthermore, the erosion of "checks and balances" went beyond the traditional definition of this term, encompassing institutions like human rights organizations, civil society networks, and investigative journalists.
The report also pointed out that the decline in democracy was not limited to specific regions, as it affected historically high-performing democracies in Europe, North America, and Asia. The organization initially linked the democratic downturn to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there has been no noticeable "rebound" in the data collected after the pandemic's peak.
While some positive developments were observed, such as improvements in the rule of law in certain Central European countries, reduced levels of corruption, and increased political participation in various African nations, the overall trend of democratic decline remains a matter of great concern.
"We see signs of hope in isolated countries around the world. But overall the picture is still quite negative," Runey said.
