The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reported on Thursday that democratic standards worldwide experienced a decline in 2023 due to the proliferation of conflicts, authoritarian crackdowns, and diminishing trust in mainstream political parties.
In the latest world democracy index, Pakistan has been demoted to an “authoritarian regime.” On the other hand, Greece achieved the status of a “full democracy.”
The general elections conducted on February 8 in Pakistan resulted in none of the major parties securing the majority necessary to form the government.
Candidates supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, secured the highest number of seats in the lower house, demonstrating his continued popularity.
However, the EIU believes that the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the Pakistan People’s Party will form a coalition government in the coming days.
The elections were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and the political situation in Pakistan is expected to remain unstable, with security concerns persisting.
Meanwhile, the United States maintained its status as a “flawed democracy.”
Joan Hoey, Editor of EIU’s Democracy Index Report, remarked that three years after the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a rollback of freedoms globally, the results for 2023 indicate a persistent democratic malaise and a lack of forward momentum.
In 2023, only 32 countries saw an improvement in their index score, while 68 countries registered a decline. The scores for 67 countries remained unchanged, reflecting a global picture of stagnation and regression.
The majority of regression globally occurred among non-democracies, as “authoritarian regimes” became more entrenched, and countries classified as “hybrid regimes” struggled to democratize.
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