Is Czech Democracy In Decline? It’s Flawed, Says Report

A new global survey indicates that general dissatisfaction with the government is damaging democracy in the Czech Republic

Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas

Written by Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas Published on 27.01.2017 12:12:06 (updated on 27.01.2017) Reading time: 1 minute

A declining trust in government is putting a dent in Czech democracy, says a new index released by The Economist Intelligent Unit.

The newly released Democracy Index, scored 167 countries on a scale of 0 to 10 (zero being “authoritarian regime” and 10 being “full democracy”).

The index measures data from global surveys. According to the publication it “incorporates 60 indicators across five broad categories: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties.”

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

Although the Czech Republic’s score did not fall by much—from 7.94 in 2015 to 7.82 in 2016—it continues to hover just below the 8.00 “full democracy” threshold where it scored from 2006-2013. It joins France, Greece, and Japan in the second-highest tier of the index.

Canada and the Scadinavian countries registered on the “full democracy” end of the spectrum.

The index reflects a similar pattern of declining confidence in political leaders and institutions in other European countries. The report notes that more than 70 countries have declined compared with 2015.

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