Support for democracy has fallen in ex-communist Eastern European countries since 2006 a study by the German Economic Institute suggests. Researchers warn that the progress the region has achieved since the fall of the Iron curtain is at risk primarily because of rising corruption. Data shows that the extent of corruption in the area has almost doubled since 2006. “The increased experiences of corruption in these states undermine the support for democracy,” the report tells. “Only in the absence of corruption can the experience of democracy have its full effect on pro-democratic attitudes.”