COVID-19 will embolden autocrats

Subject

Democracy and COVID-19

Significance

A growing number of leaders are using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to curtail the activities of opposition parties and to expand their powers. In some cases, such as Malawi, unpopular presidents are using a declaration of emergency to prohibit opposition rallies and protests. In others, such as Hungary, emergency laws have been introduced that effectively undermine democratic checks and balances. The need for lockdown and quarantine to contain the virus has also led to a militarisation of the healthcare response -- with significant human rights abuses already reported in Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa.

Impacts

• Further power grabs are likely as the crisis's impact is increasingly felt in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Human rights violations will increase as stretched security forces enforce lockdowns on populations that have limited trust in government.
• The quality of democracy in many parts of the world will continue to decline.