Long-established liberal democracies all around the world are experiencing worrisome deterioration in their democratic structures, warn MEPs.
On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted recommendations on how the EU should defend the right of citizens in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes to participate in genuine elections.
It is a fundamental human right, supported by the EU around the world, say MEPs, adding that this right is regularly denied to citizens in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes.
one third of the global population lives under authoritarian rule
These regimes conduct sham elections, the outcome of which in no way represents the will of citizens, stress MEPs. Moreover, the regimes increasingly use such elections to legitimise their rule, both domestically and internationally, and they join efforts to provide legitimacy to each other’s elections. The EU needs to react to this trend, says the resolution.
Awareness of the right to participate in genuine elections
Pointing out that 80% of people live in countries that are not free or are only partly free, while more than one third of the global population lives under authoritarian rule, MEPs call on the EU to use its tools to make citizens aware of their right to participate in genuine elections. They call on the EU to counter the narratives promulgated by autocratic and illiberal regimes that they have a mandate from their citizens as a result of genuine elections. The EU should also pay particular attention to such regimes’ abuses of information and communication technology and artificial intelligence used to manipulate elections, and should recognise civil society’s crucial role in denouncing fake elections.
Act in international forums
MEPs recommend that information about genuine elections and people’s right to participate in them should be included in human rights and democratisation projects under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.
EU needs to react when genuine elections are denied to citizens
Finally, the Parliament calls on the EU to act in international forums and to foster close cooperation and coordination between democratic countries, multilateral institutions, such as the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Council of Europe, and the organisations that endorsed the UN Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.
“This recommendation provides a broad set of proposals to better address the rising assertiveness of illiberal and authoritarian regimes which, even despite strong democratic backsliding, continue to seek democratic legitimacy through electoral processes that are neither fair nor free,” said the rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor (S&D, Spain).
The recommendation was adopted by 522 votes in favour,27 against and 53 abstentions.
