Democracy under threat around the world, new study shows

Half of the world's countries are suffering democratic decline, ranging from flawed elections to curtailed rights including freedoms of expression and assembly, an intergovernmental watchdog group said on Thursday.

In its annual report, the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) said 2022 was the sixth consecutive year in which countries with net declines outnumbered those with net advances, the longest consecutive fall since its records began in 1975.

"In short, democracy is still in trouble, stagnant at best, and declining in many places," IDEA Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora said in the report.

The think-tank said the deterioration of democratic guard-rails such as elections, parliaments and independent courts had led to problems in safeguarding the rule of law and holding politicians to account.

...