Romania is one of the 86 countries rated free in the Freedom in the World 2019 report released by Freedom House on February 4, which evaluates the state of freedom in 195 countries and 14 territories during calendar year 2018.

Romania has an aggregate freedom score of 81 in this recent report, out of 100 possible. Only Sweden, Norway and Finland got the maximum score of 100, while the Netherlands and Canada got close with a score of 99. At the opposite end, Syria’s score is 0.

Among Romania’s neighbors, Bulgaria is also rated free (with a score of 80), while Serbia, Hungary, Moldova and Ukraine are partly free.

However, Freedom House said that “democracy is in retreat” given that, in 2018, Freedom in the World recorded the 13th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. The reversal has spanned a variety of countries in every region, from long-standing democracies like the United States to consolidated authoritarian regimes like China and Russia.

“While democracy in America remains robust by global standards, it has weakened significantly over the past eight years, and the current president’s ongoing attacks on the rule of law, fact-based journalism, and other principles and norms of democracy threaten further decline,” reads the press release.

The United States’ score is 86, well below the other large, long-standing democracies such as Germany (94) and the United Kingdom (93).

Of the 195 countries assessed, 86 (44%) were rated free, 59 (30%) partly free, and 50 (26%) not free. An interactive map is available here.

Reporters Without Borders: Romania’s press freedom in free fall

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Pixabay.com)