Freedom House raises the alarm for democracy contraction, here goes Kosovo

The non-governmental group, headquartered in Washington, lists Kosovo among the partially free countries, along with Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro from the region, and Pakistan, Armenia, Ukraine and others from the world.

Serbia and Croatia, in the report released today, are included among the free countries.

“Democracy is facing the most serious kidnapping in decades”, Freedom House President Michael Abramowitz said. The basic principles of democracy, including guarantees for free and fair elections, minority rights, freedom of expression and rule of law, are under siege throughout the world”, he added.

The report says 2017 has been the 12th consecutive year of the decline of global freedom with 71 countries suffering decline in political rights and civil liberties.

A major development in 2017 was the United States' setback from the position of champion and example of democracy”, the report says.

Freedom House says it has tracked down the slow <x0nd of political rights and civil liberties in the US over the past seven years”.

But, the organisation stresses that the decline has accelerated in 2017, due to evidence of Russia's intervention in the 2016 elections, violations of fundamental ethical principles by President Donald Trump's administration and reduction of government transparency.

The report points out that “press and judiciary have remained stable in the face of President Trump<x1's unprecedented attacks.

Abramowitz said the main “institutions of American democracy are being damaged by an administration that has dealt with the country's traditional checks and balances with contempt for”.

Freedom House says that <x0... autocratic regimes in Russia and China “have benefited from the contraction of key democracies” and “are operating beyond their borders”.

Abramowitz said that “rapid withdrawal” of Trump from US's historic commitment to support democracies abroad “has made the challenge posed by more powerful and threatening authoritarian regimes”.

The report stresses that the Russian President's government, Vladimir Putin, has reached modern authoritarian regime by organising disinformative campaigns during the elections in European democracies, cultivating ties with xenophobia political parties across the continent and threatening the closest neighbours.

The main goal of these efforts has been to break up democratic states and break up institutions that hold them together”, the report says.

Freedom House has made an estimate in 195 countries around the world, of which 88 are listed as free, 58 in part free and 49 not free.

At the bottom of the list are: Syria, South Sudan, Eritrea, North Korea, and Turkmenistan.