26th Sep 2013 14:03
LONDON (Alliance News) - Democratic deficits are opening up in some EU countries, a study published Thursday said, arguing that the eurozone crisis has put democratic processes under pressure.
Greece, arguably hit hardest by the economic crisis, and Hungary were the "most worrying backsliders" on measures of a healthy democracy, said the study by British thinktank Demos, which focused on seven European Union countries.
Greece had suffered the sharpest declines in indices, falling back on rule of law, control of corruption and political stability, the report said, noting that the far-right Golden Dawn party was able to make a breakthrough in 2012 elections.
Hungary was causing concern because of proposed constitutional changes affecting the independence of the judiciary and because it lost its "free" media status awarded by watchdog Freedom House in 2012, the study said.
"The failure of Europe to give clear, effective and socially acceptable answers to the economic, social and democratic crisis is having a deep political impact," the authors said.
It was "feeding rising nationalism, Euro-scepticism and political extremism and boosting their distorted narrative, one where Europe is the scapegoat for all problems and nation states are the solution."
Overall, the authors of the study said it confirmed perceptions that Northern and Western European countries topped democracy measures, while Eastern European countries were near the bottom.
However, it noted, some Eastern European countries were showing "notable" improvements, while those in the West were suffering from "democratic malaise."
The study, which was commissioned by the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, focused on France, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece.
Copyright dpa