Greece is only two rankings from last of 27 EU countries in terms of human freedoms, according to a policy brief released this week by the Athens-based Center for Liberal Studies – Markos Dragoumis (KEFiM).
Citing the annual Human Freedom Index published by the Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute, which presents the state of human freedom in the world based on the extent of personal, civil and economic freedoms, KEFiM said Greece ranked 25th out of 27 EU countries examined in 2021.
However, Greece has managed over the last decades to improve its standing, moving from 41st spot in 2009 and 52nd in 2021 to 25th spot in 2021, when the latest report was released.
According to KEFiM, Greece still has a long way to go in the areas of rule of law, freedom in human relationships and freedom of expression and information.
According to the same data, compared to the EU average, Greece lags behind by 2.13 points out of 10 in terms of freedom in human relationships.
Greece performed best in the areas of security and protection, as well as access to the right to assemble, associate, and participate in civil society.
“Greece’s performance demonstrates that we still have a long way to go in this critical field. Although progress has recently been made in some indicators, such as in The Economist’s Democracy Index, there are still areas, such as freedom of the press, where our country continues to rank low and this does not allow room for complacency,” said KEFiM Director Nicos Rompapas.
