Brazil retreats six positions in democracy ranking, points out research by The Economist

Brazil fell six positions in the 2024 Democracy Index, released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), British Magazine Research and Analysis Division The Economist. The country went from 51st place in 2023 to 57th position this year, with a score of 6.49.

Among the factors that motivated the fall, the study highlights the decision of the Supreme Court Minister (STF), Alexandre de Moraes, to block social network X (former Twitter) in August 2024.

According to the report, the high political polarization in Brazil resulted in the politicization of institutions and increasing political violence.

The survey also mentions the STF’s performance since 2019 in investigations into misinformation and threats to ministers, classifying some of these actions as “controversial”.

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For analysts, the suspension of the X during part of the municipal election campaign “has no parallel in democratic countries” and represents a “censorship that exceeded the reasonable limits of freedom of expression.”

The blockade of the social network in Brazil, however, was determined after the non -compliance with legal requirements by the platform to operate in the country, such as the non -indication of a legal representative. Ox was unlocked before the second round of the 2024 elections.

EIU warns that restricting discourses based on vague definitions can compromise the impartiality of the judiciary and impact political freedom.

“Making a certain discourse unlawful, without clear criteria, opens precedents for judicial censorship, which could influence political results,” the report says.

Another factor that weighed on the worsening Brazilian index was the advances in the investigation by the Federal Police (PF) about the alleged attempted coup against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) and STF ministers. The study points out that developments reveal the persistence of a fragile relationship of the Armed Forces with respect for democratic norms.

Global Methodology and Ranking

The UIU democracy rate evaluates countries based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism, government functioning, political participation, political culture and civil freedoms. Nations are classified into four types of regime:

• Full democracy (score greater than 8);
• Imperfect democracy (between 6 and 8);
• Hybrid regime (between 4 and 6);
• Authoritarian regime (below 4).

The 2024 ranking is led by Norway, with a score of 9.81, followed by New Zealand (9.61) and Sweden (9.39). With this year’s result, Brazil remains classified as an “imperfect democracy”.