Freedom House: “Nations in Transit 2007” Finds Democratic Backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe
June 14, 2007 | Printer Friendly

Freedom House’s annual assessment of democratic conditions in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union has noted a trend of regression for democratic institutions in the Central European members of the European Union.  The study, Nations in Transit 2007, finds that throughout the region, “populism and anti-liberal trends are on the rise, and judicial independence is coming under increased pressure.” 

Although the ten former communist countries now in the EU are still the leaders in democratic governance, ranging from Slovenia (1.82) to Romania (3.29) on the 7-point scale, with 1 being the most democratic and 7 being the least, most have seen a reversal of momentum or stagnation in the democratization process.  Only Bulgaria and Romania, who just joined the EU in 2007, registered positive progress in 2006, according to the report.  Meanwhile, the eight countries who joined the country in 2004 have encountered problems.  Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia have worsened since the NIT report for 2006, while the ratings for the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Latvia remained the same.  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports that Jeanette Goehring, editor of the NIT report, said that “there's been some downsliding; there have been crises of confidence, either in the political parties or in the governments.  There was a lot of partisanship that took precedence over continuing reform and…pushing forward what was the best for the country and working within democratic institutions.”

Some of the highlights of the report include:

• The Polish government failed to protect its tradition of media independence, as it forced a change in the leadership of public broadcasting on the basis of political considerations. 
• Hungary’s political crisis in 2006 surrounded the admission by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany that he lied about economic conditions in the country in order to win reelection, and there were other elements of fraud in the April elections. 
• Slovakia filled open seats on the Constitutional Court based on political loyalty, and the return to the government of coalition partners from the pre-1998 era “suggested that the democratic reform gains made in the past eight years might be somewhat challenged in 2007.” 
• The Czech Republic experienced a political stalemate after the 2006 parliamentary elections and was unable to form a government for five months.

Progress in the Balkans, Caucasus, and Commonwealth of Independent States was mixed.  Turkmenistan (6.82), Uzbekistan (6.82), Belarus (6.68), and Kazakhstan (6.39) received the worst ratings on the 7 point scale, with 1 being the most democratic and 7 being the least.  Russia (5.86) and Ukraine (4.25) experienced some of the most significant and prominent regressions in the region.  The report finds that “Russia continue[d] on its path towards authoritarian governance as demonstrated with the deterioration of ratings for electoral process, independent media and civil society,” while in Ukraine, “The election of a new parliament in March and the subsequent political stalemate between political camps under the ‘dual executive system’ dominated much of 2006, leaving little time and energy for further democratic transition and consolidation.”

References:

Freedom House Press Release: Nations in Transit 2007: Governance Crisis in Central Europe amid Intensifying Repression in Russia and CIS

Freedom House: Nations in Transit 2007, Country Reports

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Democracy Report Says New EU, NATO Members ‘Backsliding’