The state of democracy in Croatia has been stagnating for the sixth year in a row, the US organisation for human rights and political freedoms Freedom House said in its "Nations in Transit 2023" report, categorising Croatia as a semi-consolidated democracy. Pročitaj više

For the sixth year in a row, Freedom House gave Croatia a democracy score of 4.25 out of a maximum 7, ranking it below Romania (4.36), Bulgaria (4.5), and Poland (4.54).

With a democracy percentage of 54 on a scale of 0-100, Croatia is a semi-consolidated democracy, according to Freedom House.

Semi-consolidated democracies, with a democracy score between 4.01 and 5, are considered to have high standards in electing national leaderships, but show weaknesses in defending political rights and civil liberties.

Croatia received the highest score for civil society (5.25) and the lowest regarding corruption and the judiciary (3.50). The electoral process was given 5.00, independent media 3.75 and local democratic governance 4.5.

As for Croatia’s neighbours, Bosnia and Herzegovina fared the worst in the region, with a democracy score of 3.21 and a democratic percentage of 37. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been falling in the report for years.

Serbia has a democracy score of 3.79, and a democracy percentage of 46. It has also been declining for years. Montenegro has the same score and percentage as Serbia.

Slovenia improved in the latest report, with a score of 5.75 and a percentage of 79, while Hungary was given a democratic score of 3.57, recording the second worst deterioration after Russia.