Regional Analysis Europe and Eurasia

The LDI also takes into account the level of electoral democracy covering subcomponents such as the quality of elections, freedom of expression and of association. The regional averages of the Liberal Democracy Index and its main components for Europe and Eurasia from 1970 to 2017 show that overall, the levels registered for various components of democracy in Europe and Eurasia are higher than they were prior to the fall of the Soviet Union. However, progress has stagnated in most countries and worrisome authoritarian retrenchment is common. The analysis reveals that the biggest net decreases in the Liberal Democracy Index are seen in Poland, Moldova, Albania, Serbia, Ukraine, and Montenegro. These countries have experienced significant declines in their scores over the last five years. In contrast, some countries such as Belarus and Georgia have shown significant improvements in their scores. The regional average for East European and Eurasian countries is lower than elsewhere in the world, indicating a need for improvement in these areas. The report also examines the development of democracy in the region by looking at the six priority areas defined by USAID: Rule of Law, Good Governance, Political Competition and Consensus-Building, Civil Society, Independent Media and Free Flow of Information, and Human Rights. The analysis reveals that Rule of Law is a problematic area in the region, with significant declines in most countries over the last five years. Good Governance is another area under distress, with the regional average for East European and Eurasian countries being lower than elsewhere in the world. However, significant improvements have been achieved in Belarus and Georgia. Levels of Political Competition and Consensus-Building have generally declined, although Georgia, Macedonia, and Kosovo have confirmed improvements. The area of Civil Society records relatively high scores, but these have been mostly static over the last five years, with significant improvements in Ukraine and Belarus, and a decline in Poland. Independent Media and Free Flow of Information scores have also remained largely unchanged over the last five years, although the scores for Poland have declined considerably from its previous position of a nearly perfect score. The levels of Human Rights are relatively high in the region, with Ukraine and Azerbaijan as outliers at the lower end. The report uses the V-Dem data to create custom indices to capture distinct regional patterns but also to show how individual countries have changed in terms of the development of democracy, human rights, and governance. The analysis examines trends, and identifies leading reformers, and backsliders in the six priority areas defined by USAID. The report continues by examining the development of these countries on the key V-Dem democracy indices, showing the most significant advancers and backsliders on the six indices custom-built for USAID, and finally, comparing the development of the countries from the region to the world average. The analysis reveals that the regional average for East European and Eurasian countries is lower than elsewhere in the world, indicating a need for improvement in these areas. The report highlights the importance of addressing the challenges facing democracy in the region, including the decline of Rule of Law, Good Governance, and Political Competition and Consensus-Building. The report also emphasizes the need for continued support for Civil Society, Independent Media and Free Flow of Information, and Human Rights in the region. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of continued monitoring and evaluation of democratic development in the region. The analysis highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges facing democracy in the region, including the decline of Rule of Law, Good Governance, and Political Competition and Consensus-Building. The report also emphasizes the importance of continued support for Civil Society, Independent Media and Free Flow of Information, and Human Rights in the region. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of continued monitoring and evaluation of democratic development in the region. The analysis highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges facing democracy in the region, including the decline