FREEDOM HOUSE (PressRelease), DC
June 15 2005
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Goldfarb
212-514-8040 x12
STUDY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEMOCRACY IN FORMER SOVIET
COUNTRIES
New Freedom House Study Warns of Obstacles From Authoritarian Regimes
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, June 15, 2005 Recent developments in Ukraine,
Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan have altered assumptions about democracy’s
prospects in the former Soviet Union, raising questions about what a
new democratic spring means for countries from Central Europe to
Eurasia, according to a major study released today by Freedom House.
The study, Nations in Transit 2005, presented today at a briefing in
Brussels, suggests that the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003 and
the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004, as well as more recent
events in Kyrgyzstan, may have opened a new wave of democratic
expansion in the post-Soviet environment. The study warns, however,
that the failure of leaders throughout the region to uphold
commitments to democracy and to preserve their own citizens’
meaningful voice in governance is a political dead end.
“The findings of this year’s Nations in Transit study make clear that
citizens in the former Soviet countries have what it takes to make
their countries democratic,” said Freedom House executive director
Jennifer Windsor. “In particular, Ukraine’s extraordinary return to
the democratic path in 2004 confirmed the potential for the peaceful
spread of liberal democracy and free markets to former Soviet
countries still suffering under corrupt and authoritarian regimes,”
she said.
Nations in Transit 2005 is available online.
Country-by-country summaries and regional ratings are also available
.
Based on the study, which tracks the movement of countries toward or
away from democracy, Freedom House urges Western leaders concerned
with encouraging democratic practices and good governance in the
region to:
Assist countries in consolidating important democratic gains. For
example, ensure that additional U.S. foreign assistance is delivered
to Georgia, which has been selected for enhanced support under the
Millennium Challenge Account.
Engage and provide incentives to countries, such as Moldova, whose
leaders have communicated a desire for greater integration with
Western democracies.
Consider new strategies to deal with consolidated authoritarian
regimes such as in Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan.
Address countries that are backsliding. Press President Vladimir
Putin to make good on pledges to advance democracy in Russia and
address democratic deterioration in Armenia.
Promote nonviolent approaches to change and provide clear and
effective responses to violence when it does occur.
“With the stakes so high, the transatlantic community must renew
efforts to support good governance, independent media, civil society,
the rule of law, and free and fair elections in the former Soviet
states,” said Nations in Transit editor Jeannette Goehring. “The
community also must devise new strategies to deal with governments
that are increasingly consolidating authoritarian rule and give
assistance to countries that previously may have been overlooked.”
Russia warrants special attention. “The fate of Russian democracy has
enormous implications, both for the former Soviet region and
globally,” said Ms. Windsor. “The fact that democracy has failed in
so many countries of the former Soviet Union is due in part to the
increasingly authoritarian Russian example. The U.S. and Europe
should press Moscow to play a constructive role in supporting
democratic practice both at home and abroad.”
Freedom House found that the eight new European Union members from
Central and Eastern Europe held their position as the highest ranking
countries in the study. These countries-Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia-continued
to show the strongest overall performance in the key areas of
democratization tracked: electoral process; civil society;
independent media; governance; corruption; and judicial framework and
independence. However, Nations in Transit also points to the need of
all these countries to tackle widespread corruption.
The Balkan countries showed signs of increased stability in 2004, yet
still confronted substantial challenges to democratic consolidation.
Bulgaria and Romania both joined NATO in 2004 and remained on the
road to joining the European Union in 2007. At the same time,
analysis of both countries makes clear that attention is still needed
in areas such as advancing judicial reform, fighting corruption, and
increasing media independence.
The Western Balkan countries of Albania, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Macedonia, and Serbia-Montenegro (including Kosovo) face the most
substantial challenges of democratic consolidation in the Balkans. At
the Brussels briefing, Jasna Jelisic, an advisor to the Nations in
Transit study and a journalist with the Sarajevo-based weekly news
magazine Dani, noted that these countries are “only halfway down the
road to joining the European community of democratic nations and
building prosperous, open societies.”
“Although much remains to be done, the events of 2004 demonstrated
that the European integration process is having a major positive
impact on democratic consolidation and stability in the Western
Balkans and is giving hope to people for the future,” Ms. Jelisic
said.
Zamira Eshanova, another advisor to the study and regional expert on
Central Asia for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said: “The turmoil
from power successions-those that have occurred and those that are
anticipated, though nobody knows when-is having an increasingly
destabilizing effect on Central Asia. The question is: What
institutions are in place and how will relative levels of democratic
strength and weakness play out in post turmoil regimes?”
NATIONS IN TRANSIT 2004: THE RATINGS
Produced annually, the Nations in Transit study provides
comprehensive analysis of transitions in 27 post-Communist countries
(plus Kosovo) by tracking progress and setbacks in electoral
processes; civil society; independent media; governance; corruption;
and judicial framework and independence. It also provides a unique
set of comparative ratings based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1
representing the highest level of democratic development and 7 the
lowest. Nations in Transit 2005 is an updated edition of surveys
published in 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, and 1995. The
2005 study covers the period from January 1 through December 31,
2004, and includes for the first time separate analysis and ratings
of national democratic governance and local democratic governance.
Largest Improvements in Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Both Ukraine
and Bosnia-Herzegovina experienced ratings improvements in 4 out of 7
Nations in Transit categories-the highest number in the study.
Ukraine’s ratings improvements were more substantial owing to the
extraordinary challenges the country overcame in late 2004 and the
success of pro-democracy supporters in reinvigorating and
jumpstarting democratic political development in the country.
Ukraine’s ratings improved significantly in the categories of
electoral process, civil society, independent media, and judicial
framework and independence. As in previous years, Bosnia continued
slow but steady democratic progress and received modest ratings
advances in the categories of electoral process, independent media,
judicial framework and independence, and corruption.
Largest Declines in Russia and Azerbaijan, Deterioration in Armenia.
Russia and Azerbaijan both experienced ratings declines in 4 out of 7
Nations in Transit categories-the greatest number in the study-owing
to the consolidation of authority by presidents in both countries. In
Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev’s efforts led to declining ratings
for electoral process, civil society, independent media, and judicial
framework and independence. Russia’s more substantial declines
occurred in the categories of electoral process, civil society,
independent media, and judicial framework and independence. Russia’s
performance in 2004 stands in stark contrast to the positive changes
noted in neighboring Ukraine. Over the last two years, Armenia has
shown a less dramatic but still disturbing decline in the areas of
electoral process, independent media, and judicial framework and
independence.
Electoral process.
(+) Nine countries or territories experienced ratings improvements
for electoral process: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kosovo,
Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
(-) Five countries or territories experienced declines in electoral
process: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Poland, Russia, and Tajikistan.
Civil society.
(+) Eight countries or territories showed gains for civil society:
Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Latvia, Montenegro, Romania, Tajikistan,
and Ukraine.
(-) Three countries or territories experienced setbacks for civil
society: Azerbaijan, Russia, and Slovenia.
Independent media.
(+) Seven countries or territories experienced improvements for
independent media: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan,
Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
(-) Eight countries or territories showed declines in independent
media: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary, Romania,
Russia, and Tajikistan.
New Governance Ratings
Eight countries or territories showed better national democratic
governance than local democratic governance: Armenia, Croatia,
Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
Thirteen countries or territories showed better local democratic
governance than national democratic governance: Albania, Belarus,
Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Poland,
Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Eight countries or territories received the same ratings for national
and local democratic governance: Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bulgaria,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, and Turkmenistan.
Judicial Framework and Independence.
(+) Nine countries or territories had ratings improvements in this
category: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia,
Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan..
(-) Seven countries experienced setbacks in their ratings for this
category: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, and
Russia.
Corruption.
(+) Five countries showed improvements in their ratings for
corruption: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, and
Slovakia.
(-) Four countries showed regression in their ratings for corruption:
Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, and Turkmenistan.