Armenia Improves Democracy Score in Nations in Transit 2022 Report

YEREVAN (Armradio) — Armenia has improved the democracy score from 2.96 to 3.04 in the Nations in Transit 2022 report published by the Freedom House.

Nations in Transit 2022 evaluates the state of democracy in the region stretching from Central Europe to Central Asia. The 24th edition of this annual study covers events from January 1 through December 31, 2021. In consultation with country report authors, a panel of expert advisers, and a group of regional expert reviewers, Freedom House provides numerical ratings for each country on seven indicators: national democratic governance, electoral process, civil society, independent media, local democratic governance, judicial framework and independence, corruption.

According to the report, “three authoritarian regimes made democratic strides and joined the ranks of hybrid regimes: Moldova, Kosovo, and now Armenia.”

The Freedom House notes that countries that have moved from authoritarian to hybrid forms of governance present a somewhat more promising picture, though they still fall short of democratic standards. “In Armenia, for example, citizens used a protest movement in 2018 and a series of competitive elections, most recently in 2021, to decisively end the Republican Party’s multidecade
reign. The incumbents were replaced with a new generation of politicians who, despite notable flaws, possess a basic commitment to democracy and the public interest.”