Newwire: 5/23/20
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We are moving to a new format for the NewsWire. Instead of publishing one large weekly issue, we will be publishing daily commentary six days a week, Monday through Saturday. We will begin each week with our feature story. |
- According to the latest Nations in Transit report, there are now fewer democracies in Europe and Eurasia than at any point since 1995. Autocratic behavior has increased in Central Europe and the Balkans in particular, with leaders moving to consolidate power by manipulating elections and attacking the media. (Freedom House)
- NH: As this report underscores, the global power grabs that have occurred in the wake of COVID-19 (see “The 2020 Pandemic and Big Brother Rising”) weren’t just taken in response to the pandemic. The pandemic simply enabled the acceleration of a trend that was already happening.
- The annual Nations in Transit report tracks the state of democracy in 29 former Communist states, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2019, leaders in these countries “dropped even the pretense of playing by the rules of democracy.” The number of democracies in the region has fallen from 15 in 2010 to 10 today. The number of autocracies hasn’t changed much, going from 11 to 9 over the same period. The biggest change has been in the number of hybrid democratic-autocratic nations, which has shot up from 3 to 10.
- The most obvious examples of authoritarian power grabbing have occurred in Poland and Hungary, where the leading parties are bending the justice system and the media in their favor. They have sought expanded emergency powers and have all but declared open season on their political opponents during the crisis. But the breakdown of democratic norms is widespread, with similar tactics being used from Slovakia to Bulgaria to Serbia to Montenegro.
- The report frames this shift as a crisis and gives good-government recommendations for how to save democracy. Unfortunately, those with the power in these countries to act on these suggestions are very unlikely to do so.
DID YOU KNOW?
Welcome to the Hard Times Café. Is your favorite restaurant on the chopping block? According to a new forecast from OpenTable, one in every four U.S. restaurants will go out of business due to the pandemic. With most restaurants still limited to takeout or delivery only, the industry lost an estimated $30 billion in sales in March and $50 billion in April. On May 13, the number of reservations and walk-in customers tracked by OpenTable was down 95% compared to the same day a year ago. Reservations have picked up slightly in the states that have begun reopening, including Arizona, Florida, and Texas, but they’re still down by at least 70% across the board. Fewer customers isn’t the only issue stressing restaurant owners, who are also being forced to reconfigure their dining areas to meet social distancing guidelines. Next time you dine out, you might sit next to a mannequin or enjoy your meal surrounded by a shower curtain.
