On the occasion of the 11th world forum for democracy which has been held since Monday in Strasbourg, the correspondents’ club is interested in democracy on the European and African continents.
The 11the world forum for democracy is being held from November 6 to 8, in Strasbourg, on the theme of peace. The foundations of democracy are weakening around the world, according to a report from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) released last week.
According to this study, Europe remains the best performing region in the world in terms of democracy but there are worrying declines within the European Union itself. Particularly on the issue of the rule of law and freedom of expression. Over the last five years, there has been a worrying deterioration in some of the states, usually among the best performing, explain the authors of this study.
The corruption scandal in the European Parliament
The scores of Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal are thus falling. In Austria, the report notes a decline in press freedom with a ruling elite putting pressure on the media. Germany, although ranked very well in most categories, is also cited for its tainted elections “insufficient oversight and campaign finance problems.” At the institutional level, this report also recalls the “Qatargate” corruption scandal which damaged the reputation of the European Parliament.
Among the best students in the ranking, Unsurprisingly, we find Nordic countries. Denmark and Finland are in the top 10 in all categories. Sweden is also very well placed. When it comes to access to rights, a fair legal system, respect for civil liberties and political, social, sexual equality, Belgium is at the top of the ranking. France is not well ranked in this area. She is 21e position after Italy, Spain, Lithuania and Greece.
Still according to the IDEA study,he decline of democratic systems at a global level can be illustrated by “the continuing wave of coups d’état” in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced five coups d’état since 2020, as many countries where military putschists have seized power without handing it over to civilians for the moment.
Successive coups in Africa
Coups d’état followed one another in the Sahel. Mali in 2020, Guinea Conakry in 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023. In these countries, the soldiers who took power are not respecting the timetable for the transitions announced for a return to democracy, despite the sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
These coups took place in the Sahel zone, plagued by questions of insecurity in the face of the rise of terrorism. A region where anti-French sentiment is also growing and where France has put an end to its military operations. Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced last week that France will increase its support for ECOWAS to restore democracy in the region.
However, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, head of the Guinean military junta, protested at the United Nations against “the democratic model imposed in Africa” And “who has difficulty adapting to our reality”, he declared last September. This model, which arrived in the post-independence period, during the wave of democratization of the 1990s, is seen as an instrument used by Western powers and contrary to African traditions. This model of democracy is therefore called into question even in countries considered to be models.