Czech Republic seen as ‘flawed democracy’ in EIU report

The Czech Republic has been described as a flawed democracy in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Democracy Index.

The country was placed 34th in a list of 167 countries in the survey whose performance for 2017 was rated. It’s score fell to 7.62 points from 7.82 points in 2016, its worst place in a decade. The overall fall for countries in Central Europe was highlighted.

The report is subtitled – Freedom of Speech in danger. It coincides with a row at public service broadcaster Czech Radio in which the station’s general director has objected to aspects of a report by station journalists which revealed how prime minister’s Andrej Babiš’ Agrofert company gained subsidies for farming land it did not own.

Warnings of increased pressure on public service media have also accompanied the re-election of president Miloš Zeman.