Authoritarianism growing worldwide, says international agency
By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Despite the growth in democracy as a global ideology worldwide, authoritarianism has also gained a foothold on the continents, a report by a development research group, International IDEA, has disclosed.
International IDEA is the acronym for Sweden-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a global inter-governmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide.
The group, in its Global State of Democracy 2021 report entitled, “Building Resilience in a Pandemic Era” delivered by its Secretary-General, Dr. Kevin Cesas-Zamora, notes that nations are now living in “uncertain times of democracy facing a multitude of challenges”.
According to the agency, even developed nations like the United States and European Countries (EU) are now so ennobled by the challenges of democracy that some of them are now ‘backsliding’ into aspects of dictatorship.
On its twitter handle, the organisation also recently noted that the Middle East and North Africa have become one of the regions in the world ‘facing a democratic backlash’.
It commends the growth of democracy in Asia and the Pacific, as well as the ‘shrinking of space’ for civil society groups in some developing countries, particularly in Africa and elsewhere.
Though amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, IDEA adds, “there is no doubt that authoritarianism has gained momentum around the world. At the same time, we have seen that democracy has been resilient.”
The slide towards authoritarianism, the agency adds, has been “accelerated by ever more pervasive scourge of disinformation and aggravated by the inability of counties to eradicate corruption or mitigate climate change.”
IDEA adds that the complexity and ‘ambiguity’ in the growth of democratic ideas calls for a multi-faceted and evidence-based picture of democracy, its shortcomings, as well as its successes.
It notes, among others, that “(it is) not just the doom and gloom, but also the bright spots and opportunities. This is where our Global State of Democracy comes in.”
The group stresses that findings from its country and regional experts across the globe have taken stock of how democracy is faring in the world.
“The bad news is that authoritarianism has grown more brazen, witness the military coup in Myanmar and the diversion of flight in Belarus.
“The quality of democracy continues to decline, and even some of the most populous and established countries in the world are now backsliding, including the US and members of the European Union (EU), ” the agency adds.
In its estimation, International IDEA states that “where democratic institutions are weaker, pandemic responses have also been more laden with problems.”
It, however, announces the discovery of some good news that “civil society is more active than ever, and we can see from everywhere – from brave opposition figures fighting autocrats in Nicaragua, Myanmar, Belarus, to the thousands of young people who have peacefully taken to the streets to demand that their governments get serious about climate change.”
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The agency also cited the discovery of secret bank details of government leaders, as well as courts of law demanding companies to take actions against global warming that things are going the positive democratic way.
“Governments have held free and fair elections despite the pandemic and parliaments have proven to be creative and efficient in carrying out their duties. Democracy is far more resilient than autocrats think,” it further states.
The international group promises to concentrate on efforts to rebuild democracy, prevent future threats, and help democracies to deliver on their citizens and re-invigorate democracy.
