Los Angeles/DNA (OTE) – Although Europe’s place among the world’s
democracies remains at the
top of the heap, the latest research from governance experts warns
that the continent is slipping from its lofty perch as the runaway
global leader.
According to the report – based on the European Berggruen
Governance Index (EBGI), which analyses states’ governance
performance according to the quality of democracy, government, and
lives of citizens – European states’ years-long dominance is
stagnating. Over time, this could undermine democratic accountability
and raise questions about the region’s long-term stability.
The findings of the report, titled “S ustaining and Expanding
Europe’s High Governance Performance ”, show that complacency, what
researchers refer to as the “silent killer of governance”, is a cause
for concern that must be addressed by a renewed focus on bolstering
democracy and engaging citizens.
The report was produced by researchers at the University of
California Los Angeles (UCLA), the Los Angeles-based Berggruen
Institute, and Berlin’s Hertie School.
Europe still leads the way
At first glance, Europe remains the envy of democracies around
the world. Overall, Europe dominates the global index’s category of
“Consolidated Democratic States” with 15 European countries ranked
among the top 20. When it comes to the quality of government, the
European average is a whopping 56 percent higher than the non-
European average, while quality of democracy enjoys a 40 percent
lead.
With such high scores, Europe appears well placed for the future.
In fact, the 39 European countries surveyed scored almost 78 per cent
in the overall assessment of governance, whilst the non-European
countries lagged behind at 54 per cent. Though a closer look at
Europe from 2000 to 2023 tells a more nuanced story, one that
researchers say needs greater attention.
A tale of three factors
Around the world, quality of life has improved almost everywhere,
with the provision of public goods increasing in all 39 European
states. However, those gains were not matched by Europe’s
institutions, which have seen state capacity stall and democratic
accountability decline since 2010, according to the report.
Although the report shows that this trend of better lives and
worsening democratic structures is a global issue, in Europe the
problem is more pronounced.
The report found that democratic accountability, or quality of
democracy, has come to a global standstill, with many countries,
including those in Europe, on the decline. At the same time, even as
the quality of government has held steady throughout the world, the
fortunes of citizens have improved. In Europe, the increased quality
of life mirrors that of non-European countries, but the quality of
governance has stalled.
Europe’s shifting landscape
To gain a better understanding of Europe’s governance fortunes,
the report sorted countries into three clusters, or “worlds”. The
first cluster identified those with strong institutions and high
governance performance. The second cluster groups post-communist EU
members, along with aspiring and candidate states. The third cluster
is composed of Europe’s weakest performers of democratic
accountability.
Through examining the “worlds” between 2000 and 2023, researchers
found what they refer to as a “convergence from below”, an upward
shift that saw 12 countries move into a higher governance cluster, a
discernible improvement. These countries are Albania, Armenia,
Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Italy, Malta, Moldova, Portugal,
Romania, and Slovenia. But the move was largely the result of better
public services, not a stronger democracy, which the report says does
not bode well for the future.
The clusters were ranked according to economic, social,
technological, and climate factors. Research shows that the top
cluster is best placed to deal with future challenges in the decades
to come. While the findings show that quality of life alone cannot
ensure the democratic accountability and state capacity provided by
robust institutions, the report details how the allure of EU
membership does result in reforms among accession countries that help
fuel governance progress.
Estonia as an example of a success story
Among the success stories, the report highlights Estonia, which
was able to combine EU accession, fiscal discipline, low corruption,
and extensive digital government, all key governance indicators, to
move into the top cluster of countries.
By comparison, Greece was an example of what the report called a
“distinctly European pathway of decline”, whose weakened state
capacity and democratic accountability have been undermined by
economic crisis and external conditionality brought on by loans,
austerity measures, and forced reforms.
The report also outlines how the increase in the provision of
public goods is not always domestically driven. Countries in Central
and Eastern Europe and the Balkans have partially relied on funding
from Brussels, while other parts of Europe have amassed debt to
improve quality of life, which can lead to limited growth among
poorer countries.
Strengthening the weakest links
The authors make it clear that while Europe has succeeded at
boosting the quality of life through better provision of public
goods, it has struggled to maintain democratic accountability and
sustain a high level of state capacity needed to navigate the decades
ahead.
To begin addressing the governance gap that exists between
Europe’s core and peripheral countries, in addition to administrative
reform and democratic renewal, the report recommends that building a
stronger democracy depends on social accountability, an area largely
beyond EU influence.
Specifically, researchers point to attacks on freedom of the
press and a shrinking civil society as greater threats to democratic
accountability than “rigged elections or captured courts”. In their
view, media pluralism and civic space need to be treated as
“governance infrastructure” to not only help “reinvigorate democracy
and make citizens feel that they are represented”, but also to
prevent the “silent killer” of complacency from taking hold.
The full report, “ European Berggruen Governance Index –
Sustaining and Expanding Europe’s High Governance Performance ” can
be viewed and downloaded from the website of the UCLA’s Luskin
School.
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