DEMOCRACY
UNDER THE PANDEMIC

Attacks on democratic freedoms accelerated under the pandemic, as many states took the opportunity to bring in restrictions that were not required to fight the virus but extended state powers and reduced the space for accountability, dialogue and dissent. Meanwhile the year’s numerous elections offered some opportunities to express dissent and demand something different, with rare changes of government coming in the Dominican Republic and Seychelles, and a change coming after civil society forced a rerun of a flawed election in Malawi. In New Zealand and South Korea, effective pandemic performance saw incumbents rewarded. But too often elections offered only an empty ceremony of democracy and confirmed long-running presidential power, not least in Belarus, Uganda and across an array of West African states. Divisive and polarising far-right politics were resisted in the USA but continued their march across Europe, including in Poland, Serbia and Slovenia. People defied repressive state power to demand democracy in Lebanon, Myanmar and Thailand, among others, and civil society worked everywhere to keep democratic freedoms alive.

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USA

YAEL BROMBERG: "The 2020 election is a political and moral mandate against fascism"

SINGAPORE

JOLOVAN WHAM: "Opposition parties were given unfavourable coverage by the state media and had difficulty accessing voters"

BURUNDI

ANONYMOUS: "The election of new leaders is not synonymous with democracy"

POLAND

MAŁGORZATA SZULEKA: "The crisis of democracy and human rights will deepen"

ITALY

ANDREA GARREFFA: "The Sardines movement is all about building self-confidence in the progressive side of politics"

UGANDA

MOHAMMED NDIFUNA: "No candidate can possibly win the election without young people’s votes"

THAILAND

PIYANUT KOTSAN: "Young people question the government abusing their rights and compromising their future"

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

HAMILK CHAHIN AND ADDYS THEN MARTE: "The times ahead may bring positive change"

SERBIA

IVANA TEOFILOVIĆ: "The political crisis will deepen as a large number of people lack representation"

SRI LANKA

SANDUN THUDUGALA: "Media control gave the government a definite advantage"

SLOVENIA

BRANKICA PETKOVIĆ: "The government has taken advantage of the pandemic to restrict protest"

SOUTH KOREA

ETHAN HEE-SEOK SHIN: "North Korean defectors and activists face increasing pressure to stay silent"

USA

PAKOU HANG: "More women in public office translates into better government and a more robust democracy"

CHILE

MARCELA GUILLIBRAND: "This historic constituent moment was achieved by citizens"

LEBANON

LINA ABOU HABIB: "This crisis should be handled with a feminist vision"

MYANMAR

BO KYI: "If this coup is not overturned, there will be many more political prisoners"

HONG KONG

PATRICK POON: "The National Security Law infringes on freedom of expression and is intensifying self-censorship"

KYRGYZSTAN

ULUGBEK AZIMOV: "The citizens’ choice in the referendum will be decisive for our future"

RUSSIA

LEONID DRABKIN: "Human rights activism can be expected to increase in reaction to repression"

PERU

RAFAEL BARRIO DE MENDOZA: "Constitutional debate has taken on new relevance as a result of the protests"

BOLIVIA

CRISTIAN LEÓN: "The pandemic became a justification for tightening information control"

MALAWI

MICHAEL KAIYATSA: "Civil society expects new government to place rights at the top of its agenda"

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