International Day of Democracy: Defiant Citizens
By: V-Dem Staff
Sep 15, 2023
The United Nation’s International Day for Democracy comes at a time of authoritarian surge; yet citizens around the world remain defiant. This week’s graph shows the 2022 global state in mobilization for democracy.
Pro-democracy mobilizations continued despite being met with violence and repression. In August 2022 demonstrations spiked in Guinea after the opposition coalition (FNDC) was dissolved by the ruling junta. A month later, Iran witnessed unprecedented levels of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. In many parts of the country dissidents expressed their dissatisfaction with the regime and the lack of political reform. Sudan’s protests for a new civilian led transition government persisted throughout 2022. Security forces continued unlawfully detaining protesters even after the lift of the state of emergency.
V-Dem’s 2023 Democracy Report highlights how defiant publics worldwide mobilize against autocratic rule. Pro-democratic mobilization helped democracies as diverse as Bolivia, Ecuador, Maldives, North Macedonia, Slovenia, South Korea, and Zambia to bounce back from a period of autocratization and become more democratic.
In celebrating the International Day for Democracy, we honor all those who stand against autocratization no matter the cost.
