Romania, last among EU countries in The Economist’s annual Democracy Index

Romania is ranked last among European Union (EU) countries and 62nd in the world in terms of democracy, with a score of 6.45, according to the annual Democracy Index compiled by The Economist.

The ranking, which assesses 167 countries based on five criteria, includes four categories of classification: authoritarian regimes, hybrid regimes, flawed democracies, and full democracies. The criteria used to compile the ranking are electoral processes and pluralism, government functioning, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.

With a score of 6.45, Romania falls in the "flawed democracies" group, along with most of the Central and Eastern European countries, with the exception of Austria, which is considered a full democracy. Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Cyprus are also rated as "full democracies". The Nordic countries, plus France, Spain, and Germany are “full democracies" as well.

In the overall ranking of 167 countries, Romania ranks 62nd, while Bulgaria is 57th (with a score of 6.53), Hungary 56th (6.64), and Poland 47th (7.04). Moldova, which was selected as the "Country of the Year" by The Economist in 2021 for improving its image the most, ranks 69th in the democracy ranking, obtaining a score of 6.23.

There are six countries in Europe that are rated as "hybrid regimes": Turkey (4.35), Bosnia (5), Kosovo, Georgia (5.20), Ukraine (5.42), and Armenia (5.63).

Russia is the country where democracy has declined the most in 2022, ranked 146th out of 167, lower than countries like Burkina Faso and Haiti, according to the Democracy Index. It is also rated as an "authoritarian regime." Since invading Ukraine, Russia fell 22 places in The Economist's global ranking.

The Economists note that the war in Ukraine "has revealed the divisions between developed democracies supporting Ukraine and many developing countries that chose not to take a stance.”

(Photo source: The Economist)