One in three electoral processes is the subject of dispute and boycott
Spain falls to 26th place among the most complete democracies in the world, while Europe and America register a significant deterioration
The quality of democracy in the world has fallen again for the eighth consecutive year in a year full of electoral events, a situation that has allowed us to analyze the state of the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the 3 billion people in more than 70 countries and territories that have gone to the polls globally during this period of time.
Nearly 47 percent of countries have experienced a clear decline in democratic indices over the last five years, confirming the downward trend in a setback that seems to be consolidating and which places Spain in 26th place among the most complete democracies in the world – two points below the previous year – according to a report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA International), an intergovernmental organization based in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
The data obtained indicate that one in three countries in which elections have been held this year have presented a loss of democratic quality, an issue that has worsened significantly compared to five years ago. Between 2020 and 2024, one in five such processes has been called into question, so that voting and counting processes have become a recurring object of doubts and litigation.
This represents almost 20 percent of the elections held in that time period, a period in which candidates and electoral parties have rejected the results. “Elections have been decided by judicial claims in the same proportion. In total, one in three elections was subject to some form of dispute, from boycotts to legal proceedings,” the document states.
The year 2023 has become the worst for electoral credibility due to the increase in “government intimidation, foreign interference, disinformation and the misuse of artificial intelligence in electoral campaigns.” Added to this is a decline in the number of voters, as it has fallen from 65.2 percent in 2008 to 55.5 percent in 2023.
Only one in four countries has managed to advance in its democratic performance, while four in nine have worsened, including those with a higher democratic performance, especially in Europe and America.
“While substantial progress has been made in improving electoral conditions, disputes over the credibility of elections are mainly due to irregularities at the time of voting and the counting of votes,” warns the report, which emphasizes that these processes remain “promising” as a “mechanism to guarantee popular control over those who make the decisions.”
However, throughout 2023 the credibility of these processes has been significantly lower in 39 countries compared to the data collected in 2018. Only fifteen countries have obtained better results in the last five years.
That is why the organization has described the growing threats to electoral quality as a “pattern” that has led to a dramatic drop of 10 points over the last fifteen years, but whose effects differ depending on the region.
“This relationship between electoral quality (both real and perceived) and the fluid transfer of power constitutes a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the increasing pressures on elections from misinformation and polarization, among other variables, widen the space for defeated parties and candidates to deny or reject the results,” the text states.
On the other hand, the organization has explained that when these results are questioned, “even more doubts may arise about the validity and even the value of democratic elections” in general.
However, as this “super electoral year” progresses, the elections “continue to be the best opportunity to end this democratic setback and change the course in favor of democracy,” it has pointed out before underlining that this is a year “fraught with uncertainty,” in which “the fate of democracy remains undetermined.”
REGIONAL OVERVIEW
Despite the continued decline in democratic quality globally, elections held in countries such as Brazil, France, Gambia, Guatemala, India, Poland and Zambia, among others, “retain a remarkable capacity to surprise experts and, in some cases, even strengthen democracy despite adversity,” the report says.
Over the past five years, democratic performance in Africa has remained generally stable, but has seen significant declines in the number of votes cast.
The Sahel region, particularly in coup-hit Burkina Faso, has seen at least 21 countries experience such a decline in electoral credibility, while Burundi and Zambia have seen notable improvements.
In Western Asia, democratic performance is largely stagnant, with more than a third of countries performing poorly, especially on issues of representation.
In Europe, International IDEA warns of a “widespread decline in democratic aspects” such as the rule of law and civil liberties — despite progress in Central Europe, particularly in countries such as Montenegro and Latvia.
The Americas remain largely stable, but countries such as Guatemala, Peru, Canada and Uruguay have experienced declines in the rule of law and civil liberties, a situation that has been milder in the Asia-Pacific region, where “minor declines” and “significant improvements” have been recorded in Fiji, the Maldives and Thailand.
At the bottom of the list, however, are countries and territories such as Afghanistan, Burma, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, among others. The countries that have seen the biggest drop in the list are Niger, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Madagascar and Tunisia.
