2023 report of IDEA, The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, is launched
We always like to draw attention in our newsletters to reports analysing the state of democracy, as the current global situation in 2023 was complex, volatile and unequal. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes democracy worldwide and publishes an annual status report. The 2023 report finds that democracy has continued to decline in all regions of the world, with at least one indicator of democratic performance declining in half of the countries covered in the report (www.idea.int/gsod/2023/chapters/executive-summary/).
In terms of the areas in which democracy improved or deteriorated in each country, this was the sixth consecutive year in which more countries saw a net decline in democratic processes than a net improvement. In short, democracy is still in trouble, stagnant at best and declining in many places. But there are also some glimmers of hope (notably the decline in corruption and surprisingly high levels of political participation). While the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) 2023 report shows some declines in countries that were once considered healthy democracies, it also shows encouraging improvements in countries where the level of repression had been constant for years.
Against this backdrop, this latest report emphasises the role of what are referred to as ‘restorative institutions’ in halting the erosion of democratic institutions and countering the rise of authoritarian forces. The term goes beyond the traditional understanding of “checks and balances” and encompasses those governmental and non-governmental institutions, organisations and movements that check the expansion of power and balance the distribution of power to ensure that decision-makers regularly incorporate the priorities of the population into their policies. Balancing institutions include relatively new institutions such as human rights organisations and electoral authorities, as well as civil society networks, people’s movements and investigative journalists, all of which play an irreplaceable role in ensuring that democracy continues to emanate from and be exercised by the people.
What can be done to combat the acute and chronic threats to democracy? The policy recommendations in the Global State of Democracy 2023 include: support for electoral processes, focusing on mechanisms that guarantee fair contests and participation; transparency and access to information in the legislature that would multiply sources of accountability; comprehensive engagement by governments to protect civic space; and legal protection of the independence of institutions that protect elections, investigate corruption and monitor government programmes.
