The Economist’s new annual report is cited by State Minister Akis Skertos in a post on the functioning of democratic institutions.
“On April 7, 2026, the new annual report of the international magazine Economist on the state of democracy in the world was published. It is one of the most authoritative assessments, journalistically and research-wise, in 20 years of the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions in 167 countries around the world,” he explains, adding:
“Greece, after a long period of 14 years, from 2009 to 2022, characterized as a flawed democracy, has, thanks to the policies in place, returned from 2023 to the select category of just 26 countries out of 167 worldwide that are rated by the Economist as full democracies.
This year’s report is the third in a row since 2023 that places us in this category.”
To the question, “Why is this exhibition in particular important?” the Minister of State answers as follows: “Because the Economist is long regarded as one of the most authoritative international publications, combining strict ethical standards with a high level of analysis and independence from partisan or national pressures. Its commitment to cross-checking information and reasoned argumentation reinforces its credibility. At the same time, he is distinguished for his firm defence of the principles of liberal democracy, the rule of law and the open economy, approaching international issues with rationality, institutional logic and an emphasis on the long-term well-being of societies.
Unlike other bodies that make similar assessments using politically biased criteria – and you certainly can’t be objective when you rank a European democracy worse in terms of freedom of speech than sub-Saharan dictatorships – the Economist has a presumption of credibility and impartiality in its judgments.”
“The first is that Greece’s “grade” in the five categories in which the assessment is made is 8.1 out of 10, while the average score for the state of democracy and the rule of law worldwide is 5.2 out of 10.
The second and even more interesting fact, as it shows the performance of our country in the European environment, is that – always according to the Economist – Greece registers the 13th best performance in the EU-27. In fact, it is among the 14 EU countries rated as full democracies, while 13 EU countries are rated as deficit democracies.”
In detail, the 14 EU countries counted as “full democracies” are: Denmark (rank 3), Finland (rank 5), Sweden (rank 6), Ireland (rank 7), Luxembourg (rank 9), the Netherlands (rank 11), Germany (rank 16), Austria (rank 17), Portugal (rank 20), Spain (rank 22), the Czech Republic (rank 23), Estonia (rank 24), Greece (rank 24) and France (rank 26).
On the other hand, the 13 EU countries that are in the category of “deficit democracies” are: Malta (rank 28), Slovenia (rank 29), Belgium (rank 31), Latvia (rank 33), Poland (rank 34), Italy (rank 37), Lithuania (rank 39), Cyprus (rank 40), Slovakia (rank 48), Hungary (rank 55), Croatia (rank 57), Bulgaria (rank 61) and Romania (rank 69).
This does not mean that we can rest, as the Minister of State clarifies, and this is because, as he points out, “the struggle for more and better democracy must be constant. And it is never enough.
Democracy and the rule of law require constant vigilance, political reforms that expand civil rights and arm us with additional institutional tools against corruption, inefficiency, ineffective governance and delays in the administration of justice.” In conclusion, “Greece has been consistently implementing these reforms in recent years in public administration, justice and governance. And this is documented in the most official way.
No democracy is perfect, and certainly ours still has important steps to take to heal long-standing failings. Cases in the public debate remind us of this. However, the flattening that characterises the opposition’s discourse on the state of democracy in our country is completely out of sync with that which has been systematically recorded in recent years by the most authoritative international indicators.
We know our problems and we are working intensively to cure them,” Mr. Skertsos, who concludes by providing a link to the Economist’s annual report: https://www.economist.com/interactive/democracy-index-2025.
