THE INSTITUTE for Public Affairs (IVO), an independent think tank, has begun evaluating the quality of democracy in Slovakia. The institute launched its IVO Barometer project in late March, the SITA newswire wrote.
For the first two months of 2008, with regard to the past, Slovak democracy earned a grade of 2.6. Grades range from 1 to 5 - as in Slovak schools – with 1 being the best and 5 being the worst. A grade of 1.0 expresses the optimum state of democracy.
IVO’s analysts awarded legislation and media a grade of 2.5, democratic institutions and the rule of law, and human and minority rights 2.75. Foreign policy was given a verbal evaluation but not graded.
Grigorij Mesežnikov of the IVO said that the grade reflects certain problems that are disturbing but not alarming.
“Slovakia, as part of the EU and NATO, should receive good grades of between 1 and 2, or rather 1 and 1.5,” he said.
The objective of the long-term project is to evaluate the state of democracy in Slovakia every two months in five key areas: democratic institutions and the rule of law; legislation; protection and respect for human and minority rights; independent media and public service media; and foreign policy from a euro-integration and transatlantic point of view.
