Page 71 - bne_Magazine_May_2018_print

bne May 2018 New Europe in Numbers I 71
Ukraine's democracy score falls in annual Freedom House ranking, illiberalism on the rise in Europe
bne IntelliNews
Ukraine’s overall democracy score fell for the first time since the EuroMaidan revolution in the annual Freedom House ranking, due to overt attacks on civil society and NGOs by the government and its failure to launch a real anti- corruption drive despite western donors' insistence.
Ukraine's overall ranking dropped from 4.1 to 4.64 (7 is lowest). Two subratings dropped in particular: the civil society rating, from 2.50 to 2.75, and media in- dependence from 4.00 to 4.25. Ukraine remains in the Partly Free category.
“With the Russian-led conflict in
the east grinding on, Ukraine’s politicians are taking advantage of patriotic sentiment to attack NGOs and journalists, accusing them of undermining the war effort. Attacks on civil society and political opponents have sapped the momentum from the
institutional reform process in Ukraine,” said Nate Schenkkan, project director that produced the “Nations in Transit 2018. Confronting Illiberalism” report.
Ukraine is not alone in backtracking. The report highlighted the worrying rise of illiberalism across Europe. Freedom House registered the broadest score declines in the project’s 23-
year history: 19 of the 29 countries assessed had declines in their overall Democracy Scores and for the second year in a row, there are more Consolidated Authoritarian Regimes than Consolidated Democracies.
Amongst the stand out underperform- ers was Poland which recorded the largest category declines and the sec- ond-largest Democracy Score decline in the history of the report. The govern- ment’s takeover of the judicial system, politicization of public media, smear
campaigns against nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and violations of ordinary parliamentary procedure have resulted in a dramatic decline in the quality of Polish democracy.
Likewise the rise of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has lead to the equally dramatic fall in that country’s democracy ranking: Hungary registered the largest cumulative decline in Na- tions in Transit history, as its score fell for the 10th consecutive year.
And the EU aspirations of Serbia might be in doubt after its score fell for the fourth year in a row, threatening its sta- tus as a “Semi-Consolidated Democra- cy,” thanks to the consolidation of power under President Aleksandar Vucic.
The bright spots this year were Macedonia, Uzbekistan, and Estonia, which all improved their scores.
Change in democracy score averages by subregion
Source: nationsintransit.org
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