The 80-page report by the intergovernmental organisation whose mission is to advance democracy worldwide, noted the remarkable strength of civic activism.”It said more than 80 countries have seen protests and civic action during the pandemic despite often-harsh government restrictions. However, pro-democracy movements have met repression in Belarus; Cuba; Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland; Myanmar; and Sudan.The report comes ahead of US President Joe Biden’s December 9-10 virtual summit for democracy aimed at gathering government, civil society and private sector leaders in what Biden has cast as a global faceoff against rising autocratic forces.In Asia, International IDEA said, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Myanmar have suffered from a wave of growing authoritarianism. But democratic erosion has also been found in India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.China’s influence, coupled with its own deepening autocratisation, also puts the legitimacy of the democratic model at risk, the report said.In Africa, democracy declines have undermined remarkable progress made across the continent over the past three decades. The pandemic has added pressure on governments to respond to concerns regarding governance, rights and social inequality, it said. It also noted military coups in Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan.The report also noted that half the democracies in the Americas have suffered democratic erosion, with notable declines in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and the United States.As for Europe, the pandemic has placed a strain on democracy and some countries where democratic principles were already under threat, it provided an excuse for governments to weaken democracy further. Europe’s non-democratic governments it identified Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia and Turkey have intensified their already very repressive practices, International IDEA said.The pandemic broadened the pre-existing rift between high-performing democracies in Western Europe and weaker counterparts in Central and Eastern Europe, said Sam Van Der Staak, head of Program Regional Europe.”That divide will continue to challenge Europe’s unity, as it also faces greater outside pressure from non-democratic superpowers. But its increased democratic isolation also poses opportunities for greater integration and collaboration, as Europe is forced to consider the value of democracy as its core foundational force.
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