Democracy News

House Committee on Foreign Affairs Holds Hearing on the State of Democracy in Eastern Europe
August 1, 2011
By: Carlos Aramayo | Printer Friendly

On July 26, Nadia Diuk, who serves as Vice President of Programs for Europe and Eurasia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean at the National Endowment for Democracy, testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as part of a panel discussion titled “Eastern Europe: The State of Democracy and Freedom.”

The House Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia gathered a panel of experts to discuss “Eastern Europe: The State of Democracy and Freedom”. In her testimony, Diuk noted that entry into the European Union “has proven to be one of the main guarantors of freedom and democracy” in this region of the world. Additionally in Diuk’s viewAlthough Diuk noted that there have been achievements in democracy advancements in democracy in over the past couple of years, however, she she noted that nowlamented that “the general trend has been a slow backsliding and in some cases a dramatic one.”

Diuk also pointed outidentified that real gains had achieved by Georgia in the past few years, however, in her view there is cause for concern about some creeping authoritarian tendencies on the part of the authorities. On a positive note, Diuk said pointed atidentified Moldova is as the one bright spota country where trends toward democracy is continuing to progressing. are positive. InTo conclusion,conclude Diuk stated that the interrelationship between the Ukraine and Russia is paramount for the region; she added that interrelationship and the political direction eachboth countries choose to implement takes will not only determine the future of freedom and democracy domestically not only in their own countries but will impact the in the region as a whole.

The read the complete testimony, please click here.