Europe's democratic dominance faces stagnation, report warns

A new report based on the 2026 Berggruen Governance Index (BGI) warns that Europe’s long-standing dominance in global democracy and governance is beginning to stagnate. While European nations still lead many global metrics, researchers suggest that complacency—described as the ‘silent killer of governance’—could eventually undermine democratic accountability and regional stability.

The study, titled ‘Sustaining and Expanding Europe’s High Governance Performance’, categorizes European countries into three distinct groups: ‘Consolidated European Democracies’, ‘EU Convergence States’, and ‘Peripheral European States’.

Despite the warning of stagnation, the data shows Europe remains a global leader. Fifteen of the top 20 ‘Consolidated Democratic States’ are European. On average, the quality of government in Europe is 56 percent higher than the non-European average, and the quality of democracy holds a 40 percent lead. The research was conducted by experts from the Berggruen Institute, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Berlin’s Hertie School.