NIT2008: Reform Fatigue Presents Serious Challenge

26 June 2008

Freedom House`s Nations in Transit 2008 report, released earlier this week, noted a growing divergence in democratic performance among the 29 countries and administrative areas from Central Europe to Eurasia it analyzes for their progress, and lack thereof, in areas of electoral processes, civil society, independent media, national democratic governance, local democratic governance, judicial framework and independence and corruption.

`Nearly two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the vision of a wider Europe, whole and free, remains unrealized, with massive swath of Eurasia remaining unfree`, says the introduction to the report, written by Christopher Walker and Jeannette Goehring.

Among the 29 states included in the report, the best grades were given to Slovenia and Estonia (1.86 and 1.93 respectively), while the worst marks were given to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with 6.93 and 6.86, respectively.

Also, the Baltic republics and the new EU member states tend to be placed towards the top of the list, with authoritarian former Soviet Union republics in Central Asia to the bottom of the list.

Among the Balkan countries, the best ratings are given to Romania and Bulgaria, already in the EU and NATO, which, the Report states, `have contributed to their achieving the ambition to join the European community of democratic states`.

In the region, the NIT report finds greatly advanced democratic reforms, a resilient civil society. It noted the strong role that the European idea and prospects of EU membership play in the reform processes. On the other hand, it did note the challenges presented by the residual postconflict issues and the weak institutions.

Of the countries in the Balkans that are yet to join EU, the highest rating of 3.64 was given to Croatia, followed by Serbia and Montenegro with 3.79 each, Albania with 3.82, Macedonia with 3.86 and Bosnia and Herzegovina with 4.11.

Kosovo has the lowest grade in the Western Balkans (5.21) and has been pointed out as the biggest challenge in the region, with the Government having to tackle the rampant corruption and improve its judiciary, while building viable state and seeking peaceful resolution of the tensions with its Serb minority.

For more detailed country reports and tables, visit the following link.

Note: The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest.