The democratic recession seen in recent years in Azerbaijan, Russia and a number of CIS countries, is not only increasing authoritarian political biases ruling circles of these States (although this factor certainly is), but is deeper and causes. These sliding processes in many CIS countries, including Azerbaijan, not least due to the particular crisis of liberal values in the world.
In the past few years in a number of Western European and other States, there is a general downward trend in democratic processes. The global economic crisis has accentuated the previously existing negative trends in the political development of many European countries, as well as increased the power of authoritarian regimes around the world. The global trend of democratization in recent years actually stopped and now almost everywhere there is the so-called “democratic recession”. The dominant model in many parts of the world, including in Europe, was a departure from earlier progress in democratization. Worldwide growing protest movement, social unrest and authoritarian tendencies could pose a real threat to liberal values even in European countries consolidated democracy.
The unprecedented rise of the movement for a revolutionary change in the Arab world in 2011, though, and led initially to the expectations of the new wave of democratization, but subsequent developments showed that democratization in the region is still very complex and uncertain prospect. In the context of the rising revolutionary threats, many autocracies tried to adjust to the new situation by resorting to a combination of harsh repression and formal cosmetic changes. In a number of countries of the world, including in the post-Soviet space, processes of democratization have stalled, went into reverse or were replaced by the ugly phenomenon of simulation of democratization.
Trends of authoritarianism even more entrenched in most countries of the former Soviet Union, particularly in Azerbaijan, and the process of erosion of the liberal values has gradually and quite a number of States of the European Union. In many parts of the world there has been a disappointment the democratic process and continues to decrease the credibility of political institutions. Political problems of Eastern and Central Europe have given rise to many negative issues of democratic transformation in the region. Combination of double standards in foreign policy and the growing attacks on Civil Liberties has led to accusations of hypocrisy in the West. Even in the developed countries of Western Europe there has been a general reduction in the level of democracy, caused primarily by the consequences of debt crises, economic uncertainty in the eurozone, rising protest attitudes and weak political leadership. In a number of developed countries of Western Europe (Great Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain) increased shortcomings of the State and security restrictions on Civil Liberties, drastically reduced people’s participation in political life.
For most of the European States are characterized by the growing gap between the authorities and the population, declining confidence in political institutions and political parties. Perversity, corruption and ESPRIT political elites led to the crisis of the liberal economy gradually became transformed into a crisis of liberal values and democracy itself. In the wake of the growing crisis of ideas mul′tikul′turizma have suverenizacii tendencies, began to be forgotten values of a “common European home” and “Europe without borders”, hardened attitude towards migrants, weakened social inclusion policies, which, in turn, only adding to the escalation of the crisis and an inter-faith, inter-ethnic tensions.
Of course, Europe has accumulated a vast wealth of experience and capacity to absorb economic and social impact of the crisis. But will the amortized equally political and ideological consequences of the crisis of traditional European values, whether it would be possible to resolve the accumulated problems, without prejudice of democracy is a matter of concern to today’s very many. In General, problems in the functioning of democracy in a number of developed countries were concerned about the immediate political future of Europe and jeopardize the very existence of the “common European home”. Moreover, the observed system crisis of European values serves as a deterrent to sabotage the democratic path of development, strengthens the capacity of resistance to change of authoritarian regimes and suppresses the profitable opportunities for the promotion of democracy on a global scale.
Take, for example, countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece. These States included in previously stable rating category of full democracy, but because of the growth trend in the last antiliberal′nyh “democracy Index 2011,” moved into the category of countries Lack democracy. Spain, though it retained its place in the category of enclosing a full democracy, but rapidly outgoing rated already come closer to the position of the countries Lack democracy. Meanwhile, France, Italy, Spain, traditionally served as the “elite” of European countries and has long proved to the developed world, with enormous potential political and economic influence and a consolidated democracy. So surprising and simptomatičnee dramatic decline their rating performance index of democracy and the transition to democracy is not enough.
Especially the case in France, long a stronghold of liberal values and priznavavšejsâ her voice “political fashion” in Europe. Given the potential credibility, weight of that country and its role in the global processes, there is no doubt that the decline of liberal legislative-Executive in the bar and in the socio-political life of France will have the most negative impact not only on the image of the State, but also on the democratic climate in the world, in a pan-European home and practice of development of individual European countries.
The gradual shift from previous course France mul′tikul′turizma, excessive emphasis on the factor of national identity, the tightening of immigration policy, double ethno-confessional standards in public life, a number of discriminatory laws that restrict the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens (e.g., criminalization of Holocaust and Armenian genocide, prohibitions on prayer and for persons in public places)-all of this, of course, led only to exacerbate social tensions and contributed to the significant devaluation of the democratic image of the country. Such risky transformation in the political life of France catalysed change in public opinion. Is last year’s poll in France, the outcome of which shocked almost all of Europe. The poll found that if the elections were held in the country today, the overwhelming victory of far-right party would have won (i.e., fascists). In fact, the outcome of the poll in France once again confirmed the validity of concerns about systemic crisis of European (particularly liberal) values.
If the political class in the Western Europe, particularly in France, give examples of disregard for the basic norms of democracy, and then expect the media elites in such authoritarian countries as Azerbaijan? For many years in Azerbaijan have occurred and are occurring the same obvious violations of democracy and international law (elections are falsified, suppressed the rights and freedoms of citizens are persecuted independent media and opposition parties, increased corruption, etc.). But, with this “bad treatment”, and directed in the records of the respectable international organizations actively working together almost all of the actors of the democratic West. In many ways it is the dual policy of the West (public criticism and behind-the-scenes support), as well as the recent worldwide crisis of liberal values have shaped the authoritarian regimes of confidence in its status syndrome. World boils and changes, but before the triumph of democracy is still very far away.
