Is France a democracy? Most people would assume there is a straightforward
answer - "Yes". After all, France has free and fair elections. However, there
is more to a truly democratic society than elections alone, writes Simon
Baptist of The Economist Intelligence Unit.
France is a democracy, but not a full democracy, according to the newly
published sixth edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.
More accurately, it is a "flawed democracy".
We give it a score of 7.92 out of 10, below the 25 countries that scored 8.00
or above - all full democracies - and fractionally below Botswana, another
flawed democracy. But it's above the other 140 countries covered by the index,
and a long way from being classified as a "hybrid regime" or - quelle horreur -
"authoritarian".
So, what is it that lets France down?
Volunteers count ballot at the closing of vote on the day of the second round
of the French municipal elections on March 30, 2014 at a polling station in
Nantes, western France
France is up there with the top democracies in regard to its electoral process,
civil liberties, and political participation - which refers to such things as
voter turnout, the number of women MPs and preparedness to participate in
lawful demonstrations. It is let down by its relatively poor showing in terms
of functioning of government and political culture.
A couple of examples.
Top 10 full democracies
Country Score out of 10
1: Norway
9.93
2: Sweden
9.73
3: Iceland
9.65
4: Denmark
9.38
5: New Zealand
9.26
6: Australia
9.13
7: Switzerland
9.09
8: Canada
9.08
9: Finland
9.03
10: Luxembourg
8.88
Other countries
14: UK
8.31
19: US
8.11
27: France
7.92
Consider the power of the French parliament. In a country such as Norway,
ranked first, or Australia, ranked sixth, the legislature is the supreme
decision-making body. France's legislature, by contrast, is one of the weakest
in Europe. Because the president wields huge power, it is difficult for the
legislature to shape legislation and hold the government to account.
Pie chart showing how many countries are democracies
The president is elected too, of course, but there is a greater risk of a
single decision-maker taking action against citizens' wishes than a legislature
composed of hundreds of elected officials, which has its own inherent checks
and balances.
This is one reason France performs badly with regard to "functioning of
government".
Here's another example. French citizens, by their own admission, have very low
trust in government or political parties - surveys show them to be some of the
most disaffected in Europe. The autumn 2013 Eurobarometer survey [pdf in
French], for example, revealed that only 7% of French people trust their
political parties, while only 14% trust the national government - both well
below the European average. This may be one factor contributing to the defeat
of mainstream parties in last month's European election. It is also one reason
why France is not ranked highly for "political culture".
A woman holds a sign reading 'When you are of the left... In Europe you put
people first' as left-wing protesters take part in a demonstration against
austerity on April 12, 2014 in Paris
In the first version of the Democracy Index, eight years ago, France was rated
as a full democracy. It was downgraded in the third edition, in 2010, due to
the decline in public confidence in politicians and because of its low levels
of political engagement. In the latest World Values Survey for France, only 37%
of people were somewhat or very interested in politics, as compared to 44% in
the UK and 58% in the US.
Since 2010, however, France's score has been edging up again and it is now very
close to being classed as a full democracy.
How the index works
Countries judged for: electoral process, functioning of government, political
participation, political culture and civil liberties
A total of 60 questions are asked within these five categories
Some questions are weighted as more important than others, including: Are
national elections free and fair? Are voters safe when they go to the polls? Do
foreign powers have influence over government? Are civil servants capable of
implementing policies?
Countries are then rated as full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid
regimes, and authoritarian regimes
There were found to be 25 full democracies, 52 flawed democracies, 39 hybrid
regimes and 51 authoritarian states
Spain, meanwhile, has been moving in the other direction. Currently ranked two
places higher than France, at 25th, its democracy has weakened over the past
five years, and 2014 could well be the year that France overtakes it.
There are other European countries - including Italy (31st), Portugal (34th)
and Poland (44th) - languishing further down the ranks of flawed democracies.
Romania, the lowest-ranked member of the EU, comes in at 60th.
Like France, the UK is on an upward trend, climbing two places to 14th in the
latest index, which was based on data available at the end of 2013. This is
because of the jump in voter turnout at the last two general elections,
increased participation of minorities in parliament and political
organisations, and a rise in the numbers who believe that democracy is good for
the economy.
So, which countries do we rate as the most democratic in the world? This group
includes the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and
Sweden) along with New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Canada and tiny
Luxembourg. (The US comes in at 19th.) They must by now be accustomed to the
glory, as they dominate the first 10 places of many such rankings, the UN
Development Programme's Human Development Index, for example, or the EIU's
Quality of Life index.
At the other end of the index, the least democratic country is North Korea -
let down by its score of zero in the electoral process and civil liberties
categories - followed by Guinea-Bissau and the Central African Republic.
Bottom 10 authoritarian regimes
Country Score out of 10
158: Syria
1.86
159: DR Congo
1.83
160: Saudi Arabia
1.82
161: Equatorial Guinea
1.77
162: Uzbekistan
1.72
163: Turkmenistan
1.72
164: Chad
1.50
165: Central African Republic
1.49
166: Guinea-Bissau
1.26
167: North Korea
1.08
Egypt made the biggest fall during 2013, tumbling back into the authoritarian
category, after a year classified as a hybrid regime. Montenegro and Benin were
also downgraded - from flawed democracies to hybrid regimes - while Madagascar
and Burkina Faso made the leap up from authoritarian states to hybrid regimes.
What The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index shows is that free and
fair elections and civil liberties are necessary conditions for democracy, but
they are unlikely to be sufficient for a full and consolidated democracy if
unaccompanied by transparent and at least minimally efficient government,
sufficient political participation and a supportive democratic political
culture. It is not easy to build a sturdy democracy. Even in long-established
ones, democracy can corrode if not nurtured and protected.
But equally, a country that does nurture a healthy democratic system can rise
up the index. Maybe next year France will make the leap back to being a full
democracy?