is the world in a “democratic recession”?

Coup d’état, corruption, obstruction of freedom of expression… All over the world, democracies are being put to the test, to the point that half of them are experiencing democratic decline, according to IDEA International. To produce this report, the institute relied on several indicators, such as judicial independence, political participation and respect for human rights.

Europe at the top of the ranking

Europe today remains the region where democracy is most consolidated. However, the scores of certain countries, such as England or Luxembourg, have deteriorated. The fault in particular is the non-respect of press freedom. On the side of Russia and Turkey, the repression during the demonstrations lowered their score, ranking them well below the European average. The African continent is lagging behind. The continuing wave of coups endangers African democracies.