For the first time, the United States has been called a “democracy in retreat” by International Idea, an intergovernmental organization that annually publishes reports on democracy and elections around the world. The survey published this Monday (22) also highlights Brazil with the biggest decline in the analyzed parameters.
According to the document, the deterioration of American democracy is related to the second half of Donald Trump’s presidency. The organization stresses that the country remains “a high-level democracy,” but issues involving civil liberties and government control weighed against the US.
The report cites, for example, Trump’s frequent attacks on the US electoral system, during and after last year’s November election, and “the narrowing of Congressional investigations into the president’s actions between 2018 and 2020.”
The offensive by the former US head of state served as the engine for a mobilization of his supporters on January 6, which culminated in the invasion of Congress, to interrupt the session that certified the victory of Democrat Joe Biden. The group accused election fraud – which has never been proven.
The attack, which ended in five deaths, is considered one of the biggest attacks on US democracy. Last Thursday (17th), Jacob Chansley, who became known as “the QAnon’s shaman” after appearing in the invasion wearing a fur hat with horns and his face painted red, white and blue, was sentenced to 3 years and 5 months of prison.
Two days earlier, Steve Bannon, an ally and former adviser to Donald Trump, turned himself in to the FBI on charges of obstructing investigations into the attack on the headquarters of the US Legislature. He was not arrested but had his passport confiscated.
“The visible deterioration of democracy in the United States is demonstrated by the growing tendency to question reliable electoral results, efforts to suppress participation and the unrestrained polarization that is one of the most worrying points for democracy on a world scale,” said the secretary. Idea general, Kevin Casas-Zamora, to the AFP news agency.
Also citing recent questions regarding the electoral system, the report points to Brazil as the democracy that showed the most declines last year, among the nations analyzed. Referring to President Jair Bolsonaro, the organization says he “has gone even further, questioning the voting system that has existed for 25 years and claiming that elections can be canceled if [o sistema] is not changed”.
In addition, statements by the president against magistrates of the Superior Electoral Court and justices of the Supreme Federal Court are mentioned — in a statement by his supporters, he even said that he would not obey the decisions of the highest court in the country.
The study also highlights that the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil was “plagued by corruption scandals and protests, while President Jair Bolsonaro downplayed the pandemic and sent out contradictory messages”. The institution recalls that, in response, “mass protests broke out, demanding the removal of the president”.
The ongoing investigations for misappropriation in all 27 states are also weighing against Brazil.
Based in Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, International Idea tracks over 160 countries and classifies them into three categories: democracy (including “backward” ones), hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes.
According to the organization, more than a quarter of the world’s population lives in retreating democracies, and around 70% is in a hybrid or authoritarian regime. The negative movement has been noticed since 2016.
“The number of countries moving in an authoritarian manner has outpaced those moving in a democratic direction. The pandemic has prolonged this existing negative trend over a five-year period, the longest since the beginning of the third wave of democratization in the 1970s” , he stressed.
In addition to Brazil and the USA, the group of democracies in retreat is formed by countries like India, Philippines, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia.
Ukraine and Northern Macedonia were also on the list, but the organization assessed that the two nations showed improvements in their democratic cadres; Serbia was excluded because it is no longer considered a democracy.
According to the organization, the Serbia Progressive Party, now in power, has restricted civil society and free media. The report also cites irregularities in the 2020 parliamentary elections due to “misuse of public resources and an unequal playing field”.
In all, the survey cites 98 democracies, 20 “hybrid” regimes — including Russia, Morocco and Turkey — and 47 authoritarian regimes. These include China, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Iran.
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