(Paris) Democratic standards around the world will decline in 2023 due to the spread of wars, authoritarian practices and a decline in the level of trust in traditional political parties, according to a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) group published Thursday. .
With two more countries, Paraguay and Papua New Guinea, classified as democracies in 2023, the global average for the index fell to 5.23 out of 10, from 5.29 the previous year, its lowest level since the first study was published in 2006.
“This deterioration in the state of democracy around the world is mainly due to negative developments in non-democratic countries, such as the return of violent conflicts and authoritarian actions,” the report notes.
Of the 74 countries (out of 167 studied) considered democracies, only 24, representing barely 7.8% of the world's population, qualify as “full democracies,” or “countries in which fundamental political and civil liberties are not only respected, but also Fundamental political and civil liberties. They also tend to be supported by a political culture conducive to the development of citizens.
The other 50, from the United States to Israel via Brazil or Thailand, belong to “failed democracies,” where “free and fair elections are also organized, and even if there are problems (such as violations of media freedom), basic civil rights are maintained.” . Freedoms are respected,” according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Paraguay and Papua New Guinea joined this second category this year.
Other countries are divided between a “hybrid regime” and an “authoritarian regime,” according to an index calculated from five criteria: electoral processes and pluralism, government performance, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.
Niger, losing 29 places (141H Center), Gabon (-28, 146H), are the two countries that suffered the largest declines in the ranking. Both will see a coup in 2023.
Western Europe is the only region whose score improved, “thus surpassing North America,” which does not appear at the top of the rankings “for the first time since the index was created in 2006.”
The report analyzes that more and more countries are facing “declining trust in political parties and major political leaders,” and are succumbing to “culture wars” of the kind that have long characterized the United States.
Western Europe, for its part, is said to be “undermined by low levels of trust in government and polarization around the immigration issue.”
