democracy further deteriorated in 2022, report says

Democracy in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban further deteriorated last year. In its annual report (in English) Released on Wednesday May 24, Freedom House, a US government-funded but independently run research organization, points out that the country’s score has deteriorated more than any other country in Eastern Europe. exception of Russia. Hungary has thus gone from 45% democratic in 2022 to 43% in 2023. Vladimir Putin’s Russia is now 2% democratic, according to Freedom House. Estonia is given the highest score, at 83% democratic, followed closely by Latvia, Slovenia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, according to the report.

Since his return to power in 2010, the Hungarian nationalist leader has gradually brought checks and balances to heel, whether in the media or the judiciary, regularly drawing criticism from the European Union. The report denounces in particular the conduct of the last legislative elections, marred by“irregularities, abuse of administrative resources and distortions in the media”as well as “the growing intolerance of the regimeOrban for dissenting voices. The report draws a contrast with Poland (59% democratic), pointing to the “ruling party’s contempt for liberal democracy”, but by welcoming the massive reception of Ukrainians who fled the war provoked by Russia.