The level of democracy in Europe has notably declined over the past five years

In Europe, 77 declines in democratic indicators have been recorded over five years versus 42 improvements, with more than half of European countries experiencing deterioration in at least one criterion.

This is stated in the "Global State of Democracy 2026" report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

The most notable weakening in Europe occurred in civil liberties, access to justice, and electoral integrity. According to the report, Europe accounted for 46% of the global deterioration in democratic indicators in the area of press freedom. Cases of worsening civil liberties and electoral quality were recorded even in countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom.

"The report does not say that democracy in Europe as a whole is under threat. But it points to the fact that areas of weakness are expanding, and the situation is not moving toward the sustained improvement in the quality of democracy that many Europeans would like to see," said International IDEA Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora.

The report separately notes that the fight against corruption has weakened in Austria, Lithuania, Finland, Spain, and Slovakia.

Commenting on the results for Germany and Denmark, Casas-Zamora noted that the duration of the trend must be taken into account. According to him, both countries have been experiencing a gradual decline in democratic indicators for about ten years, and their authorities need to act immediately to reverse the trend before the decline begins to have broader consequences.