US joins annual list of 'backsliding' democracies, says report

It said that as of August 2021, 64 per cent of countries have taken an action to curb the pandemic that it considers "disproportionate, unnecessary or illegal."

Democracy is deteriorating across the world, with countries notably taking undemocratic and unnecessary actions to contain the coronavirus pandemic, an intergovernmental body said in its new report on Monday. “Many democratic governments are backsliding,” the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance said.

The 34-nation organisation added that as of August 2021, 64 per cent of countries have taken an action to curb the pandemic that it considers “disproportionate, unnecessary or illegal."

Autocratic regimes have become “even more brazen in their repression,” free speech has been restricted and the rule of law has been weakened, it said. In its flagship report on