It is the third edition of the main output of IVO Barometer, a project in which analysts of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) regularly evaluate quality of democracy in Slovakia after it became a full-fledged member of the European Union. The project’s methodology is based on systematic monitoring and analyzing main development trends in five key areas: democratic institutions and the rule of law; legislation; protection and implementation of human and minority rights; performance of independent and public service media; and Eurointegration and transatlantic dimensions of foreign policy.
IVO formed panels of renowned experts from academic and research institutions who elaborated quarterly background analyses of developments in each particular area in compliance with a set methodology. Based on these analyses and under IVO supervision, individual teams issued regular assessments of recent developments in particular areas.
The role of experts was also to award the overall rating in each particular area on the scale ranging from 1.00 to 5.00, except in the area of Euro-integration and transatlantic dimension of foreign policy, which is evaluated only verbally. The rating of 1.00 expresses the optimum quality of democracy complying with standards and comparison criteria applied by the EU and the Council of Europe in the field of institutional stability, political democracy and implementation of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
