Democracy under Pressure Worldwide: Challenges and Polarization

Democracy under pressure worldwide

According to a study, despite half of humanity living in a democracy, its state is not good. Authoritarian regimes have become entrenched. Although Germany has improved in the ranking, it still needs to be cautious.

The state of democracy in the world has deteriorated, according to a recent study. “The increasing occurrence of violent conflicts has greatly affected the global democracy score,” said the “Economist Intelligence Unit” (EIU) of the British Economist Group. The EIU Democracy Index shows that nearly half of the world’s population (45.7 percent) lives in some form of democracy. However, only 7.8 percent of them are in a “full democracy,” while more than a third (39.4 percent) are under authoritarian rule.

Norway, New Zealand, and Iceland ranked at the top, as they did in the previous year. Germany climbed two places to 12th out of 167 countries. However, this improvement was due to the decline in other countries’ rankings. North Korea, Myanmar, and Afghanistan were at the bottom.

Rise in violent conflicts affects the index

The study assessed five categories on a scale of 1 to 10: electoral processes and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties. The global average score decreased from 5.29 last year to a record low of 5.23.

“This global deterioration in the state of democracy has been mainly caused by negative developments in non-democratic countries, such as the increase in violent conflicts and authoritarian encroachments,” the statement said. “Authoritarian regimes” have further solidified, and countries classified as “hybrid regimes” struggle to democratize.

AfD as the biggest challenge

Germany achieved the highest score in electoral processes and pluralism. This reflects the openness, transparency, and smooth functioning of the electoral system and power transfer, it said. The country also performed well in civil liberties. However, it performed poorly in the functioning of government category. In 2023, the Ampel coalition struggled to reach an agreement on important political measures, resulting in a decrease in public approval ratings. In terms of political culture, Germany faces its biggest challenges due to the increasing support for the AfD.

Established parties under pressure

Although the average score for Western Europe improved slightly compared to other world regions, the study concluded that the political landscape in America and Europe has become increasingly polarized. “Trust in established political parties and their governments is declining in more and more countries.” There are “culture wars” as seen in the United States for some time. “Western Europe suffers from low confidence in the government and is polarized on immigration.”

Political polarization is also observed in many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Increasing crime rates have led voters to accept the erosion of democratic norms and civil liberties and, in return, to accept the security provided by authoritarian-led governments,” the report said. El Salvador in Central America serves as an example, where President Nayib Bukele has used his success in reducing crime to expand his authoritarian power and undermine civil liberties.