Electoral autocracy
{{Short description|Hybrid regime with regular but unfair elections}}
Electoral autocracy is a hybrid regime, in which democratic institutions are imitative and adhere to authoritarian methods. In these regimes, regular elections are held, but they are accused of failing to reach democratic standards of freedom and fairness.{{cite journal |last=Morse |first=Yonatan L. |date=January 2012 |title=Review: THE ERA OF ELECTORAL AUTHORITARIANISM |journal=World Politics |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=161–198 |doi=10.1017/S0043887111000281 |jstor=41428375 |s2cid=154433302 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41428375 }}{{cite news |last1=Liboreiro |first1=Jorge |last2=Zsiros |first2=Sandor |date=2022-09-16 |title=Hungary is no longer a full democracy but an 'electoral autocracy,' MEPs declare in new report |url=https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/15/hungary-is-no-longer-a-full-democracy-but-an-electoral-autocracy-meps-declare-in-new-repor |work=Euronews }}
Electoral autocracies around the world
= Hungary under Orbán government =
In September 2022{{cite web |url=https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2018/0902R(NLE) |title=Procedure File: 2018/0902R(NLE) - Existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded |work= European Parliament Legislative Observatory |access-date=2022-09-17 }} the European Parliament passed a resolution that due to "a breakdown in democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary" the country turned into "a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy".{{cite report |author=Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs |date=2022-07-25 |title=INTERIM REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision determining, pursuant to Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union, the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0217_EN.html |publisher=European Parliament}}{{cite news |last=Rankin |first=Jennifer |date=2022-09-15 |title=Hungary is no longer a full democracy, says European parliament |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/15/hungary-is-no-longer-a-full-democracy-says-european-parliament |work=The Guardian}}
= India under Modi government =
In 2021, the Swedish political research institute Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) lowered India's ranking from flawed democracy to electoral autocracy, citing alleged increasing nationalist rhetoric and diminishing freedom of expression under the government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi. United States-based Freedom House also lowered Indian democracy ranking from free democracy to a "partially free democracy".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56393944 |title= 'Electoral autocracy': The downgrading of India's democracy |website=BBC News |date=16 March 2021 |first= Soutik |last= Biswas }}{{cite web |url= https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-authoritarian-roots-of-indias-democracy/ |title= The Authoritarian Roots of India's Democracy |website=Journal of Democracy |date=July 2023 |first= Tripurdaman |last=Singh }}{{cite web|url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/flawed-freedom-rankings-have-a-real-point-about-india-prime-minister-narendra-modi-civil-liberties-electoral-autocracy-11674166983 |title= Flawed Freedom Rankings Have a Real Point About India |website=Wall Street Journal |date=19 January 2023 }} In the same year, Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance classified India as a backsliding democracy, citing similar reasons.{{cite web|url= https://thewire.in/rights/india-autocratiser-v-dem-report-2023 |title= India Is 'One of the Worst Autocratisers in the Last 10 Years,' Says 2023 V-Dem Report |website=The Wire India |date=7 March 2023 |first= Vasundhara |last=Sirnate }}{{cite web|url= https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2023/04/24/india-s-democratic-regression_6024042_23.html |title= India's democratic regression
|work=Le Monde |date=24 April 2023 }} According to The Guardian, the Indian government dismissed the reports, saying self-appointed people cannot be custodian of democracy for India,{{Cite web |date=2021-03-14 |title='Hypocrisy by Self-appointed Custodians of World': Jaishankar Trashes US Think Tank's Report on India |url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/hypocrisy-by-self-appointed-custodians-of-world-jaishankar-trashes-us-think-tanks-report-on-india-3532793.html |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=News18 |language=en}} but expressing concern about the reputational damage caused by the changing designations.{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/22/india-democracy-index-flawed-preserve-reputation-narendra-modi |title= India secretly works to preserve reputation on global Democracy Index |website=The Guardian |date=22 June 2023 |first= Anisha |last=Dutta }}