Austria’s Democracy Index Declines for Another Consecutive Year

(MENAFN) Austria’s Democracy Index has recorded its fourth straight annual decline, according to a new assessment released Tuesday by a coalition of 10 non-governmental organizations examining the performance of the government and parliament in protecting liberal democratic principles.

The country’s score dropped to 54.1%, marking a one-percentage-point decrease from the previous year and bringing the index closer to its lowest reading since 2019, when it reached 53.8%.

The assessment, which evaluates democratic conditions in Austria, is published every year and examines seven key areas: Sovereign, Political Parties, Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, Media and Civil Society. Each category is divided into several individual chapters.

The Judiciary recorded one of the most significant setbacks, with its score falling by four percentage points compared with the previous year. The report linked the decline to a lack of permanent staff positions, inadequate conditions within prisons and correctional facilities, and shortcomings in the implementation of responsibilities by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Overall, conditions deteriorated in eight of the index’s 16 chapters. Beyond the judiciary, concerns were also identified under the Sovereign category, particularly in relation to fundamental rights and digital freedoms.

The assessment highlighted the ban on headscarves for girls under the age of 14 in schools, alongside overcrowding in prisons, as issues affecting the protection of fundamental rights.

MENAFN21102026000045017640ID1111842841