OTS - How to halt democracy erosion (part 1)
2024. March 19. 08:00
Gütersloh, 19 March, 2024 (APA/OTS) - The quality of democracy in
developing and transformation countries has been in steady decline
over the past 20 years. The latest findings of the Transformation
Index of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, now in its tenth edition, show
that out of 137 countries surveyed, only 63 remain democracies,
while a majority are classified as autocracies. However, there is
reason for hope. The examples of the transformation countries
Bra-zil and Poland, where voters have rebuffed authoritarian
trends, show the potential for reversing democratic erosion.
In the early years of the BTI, almost 20 years ago, democracies
around the world faced much less pressure. Today, almost a third of
the 137 countries surveyed by the BTI show the lowest level of
political participation opportunities ever recorded by the BTI. In
the last two years alone, elections in 25 countries were less free
and fair, while assembly and association rights in 32 states have
been increasingly curtailed and the freedom of expression in 39
countries has faced tightened controls. This gradual erosion of
democracy can provide a pathway for the establishment of
authoritarian rule, a trend exemplified by the cases of Bangladesh,
Mozambique and Türkiye.
Nonetheless, there are still democracies able to withstand the
pressure. The Baltic States as well as Taiwan, South Korea, Costa
Rica, Chile and Uruguay demonstrate how successful transformation
can be achieved. Firmly anchored in the rule of law, governance in
these states emphasizes strategic prioritization, participatory
processes and inclusion. It thus deliv-ers strong outcomes in the
areas of education, health care, infrastructure and living
standards which, in turn, strengthen democracy on the whole.
To counteract the erosion of democracy, institutions and
mechanisms of oversight such as the judiciary, parliament and the
media are essential. Free and (partially) fair elections have
brought about change in some East-Central and Southeastern European
countries such as Czechia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland and
Slovenia, as well as in Latin America, such as Brazil, Guatemala
and Honduras. "Authoritarian trends can be stopped at the ballot
box," says Hauke Hartmann, Senior Expert at the Bertelsmann
Stiftung. "This requires a mobiliza-tion of civil society prior to
elections and a return to the rule of law after the elections."
Civil society matters
In the defense of democracy, one crucial stronghold is the
resilience of civil society. Recent examples from Brazil, Kenya and
Zambia underscore the pivotal role civil society plays in ensuring
fair elections and upholding their integrity, often in
collaboration with electoral au-thorities or constitutional courts.
Similarly, in Poland and Sri Lanka, successful mobilization efforts
have safeguarded civil and social rights. These instances highlight
the importance of uniting street-level activism with institutional
checks on government power to effectively resist authoritarian
trends. Strengthening and safeguarding these civic forces and
institutions stand as paramount strategies for fortifying
democracy. Encouragingly, recent BTI assessments indicate that
cooperation among interest groups and the self-organizational
capacities of civil society remain robust.
Good governance remains elusive, especially in autocracies
Despite claims by authoritarian leaders that their states are
governed more efficiently than democracies due to streamlined
decision-making processes, the latest BTI findings suggest
otherwise. In fact, the report reveals that at the bottom of the
efficiency scale are 45 regimes plagued by disorganization and
corruption, spanning from Cambodia to Venezuela to Zimba-bwe,
nearly all of which are ruled with an iron fist. While a few
autocratic regimes demon-strate efficient governance, they are a
rare exception.
The extent to which the quality of democracy and good
governance are intertwined cannot be overstated, especially with
regard to consensus-building. In 80 countries, the ability and
will-ingness to foster consensus have declined over the past
decade, marking the most significant setback in the realm of good
governance. "In many cases, governments have neglected ef-forts to
cultivate societal consensus for too long. Continuous dialogue and
inclusivity in deci-sion-making processes are not weaknesses but
strengths of democratic governance," says Sabine Donner, Senior
Expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. "Good policymaking remains one
of the most potent responses to authoritarian challenges."
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