Democracy Day: Liberal Democracy in the Year of Elections
By: V-Dem Staff
Sep 20, 2024
2024 is the year of elections, with almost half of the world’s population going to the polls. As V-Dem Institute’s 2024 Democracy Report points out, many elections take place in autocratizing countries. This week’s graph shows the Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) for the last twenty years in Georgia, Indonesia, and Tunisia.
In celebration of the International Democracy Day, we look at the state of liberal democracy in three countries holding elections this year.
The Georgian elections in October come at a critical time: After a controversial law discriminating Western-supported civil society actors as ‘foreign agents’ and the violent handling of pro-democracy protest, the EU froze its membership pledge.
In Indonesia, former military strongman Subianto won the presidential elections in February. He has long been accused for human rights abuses and openly questions democracy, which raises concerns for the already-autocratizing country.
President Saïed’s grab of power in 2021 halted Tunisia's decade-long progress towards democracy. The authoritarian power grab affected many aspects of democracy, from legislature to media. The presidential election in October takes place amid uncertainties regarding the country’s political future.
Elections have the potential to mark a democratic turnaround. However, as V-Dem’s 2024 Election Report shows, elections can also legitimize further autocratization.
By Lavinia Klarhoefer and Sunniva Sæverud
