As of the early 2020s, Croatia has severe problems with systemic and political corruption. Among European Union member states, it is generally ranked as one of the five most corrupt states.
Political corruption |
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Forms and concepts |
Anti-corruption |
Corruption by country |
In order to qualify as a member of the European Union, Croatia has taken various measures to combat corruption. The legal and institutional framework as well as government agencies are addressing the issue of corruption in a much larger scale, and the inter-agency cooperation for corruption prevention has also increased, but these efforts are facing the large obstacle of an inefficient and corrupt judicial system. [1] USKOK has prosecuted 2,000 individuals and achieved a 95% conviction rate (2012) (although convictions rarely resulted with prison sentences), including former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader. [2] [3]
Several civil servants in the Croatian Privatization Fund, the Zagreb land registry and the Zagreb taxation headquarters, among others, were arrested on charges of bribery. Moreover, several high-profile corruption cases have come to light, including investigations of a former defense minister and a former deputy prime minister. [4]
A 2013 Global Corruption Barometer report by Transparency International showed that 41% of respondents believe that the level of corruption increased in Croatia. [5]
Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored the country at 50 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, Croatia ranked 57th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. [6] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11 (ranked 180). [7] For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Western European and European Union countries [Note 1] was 90, the average score was 65 and the lowest score was 42. [8]
Crime in Hungary is combated by the Hungarian police and other agencies.
Corruption in Albania is a very serious problem. According to Global Corruption Barometer 2013, 66% of respondents indicated that level of corruption has increased in Albania.
Corruption in France describes the prevention and occurrence of corruption in France.
Corruption in Turkey is an issue affecting the accession of Turkey to the European Union. Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index scores 180 countries according to their perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 to 100. Since the current scale was introduced in 2012, Turkey's score has fallen from its highest score of 50 (2013) to its lowest, current score of 34 (2023). When the 180 countries in the Index were ranked by their score, Turkey ranked 115 in 2023. For comparison with worldwide scores, the average score was 43, the best score was 90, and the worst score was 11. For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Eastern European and Central Asian countries was 53, the average score was 35 and the lowest score was 18.
In general, Belgium has a well-developed legal and institutional framework for fighting against corruption.
Corruption in Sweden has been defined as "the abuse of power" by Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå). By receiving bribes, bribe takers abuse their position of power, which is consistent with how the National Anti-Corruption Unit of the Swedish Prosecution Authority specifies the term. Although bribes and improper rewards are central in the definition of corruption in Sweden, corruption in the sense of "abuse of power" can also manifest itself in other crimes such as misuse of office, embezzlement, fraud and breach of trust against a principal.
Corruption in Cyprus is a salient concern for people in Cyprus: As of 2022, 94% considered that corruption was widespread in the country.
Corruption in Denmark is amongst the lowest in the world.
Levels of corruption in Luxembourg are generally said to be very low, and there a strong legal framework for combating corruption in the country. Surveys however indicate that a majority of the population believe political parties are either "corrupt" or "extremely corrupt."
Corruption in Iceland describes the prevention and occurrence of corruption in Iceland.
Corruption in Latvia is examined on this page.
Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored Germany at 78 on a scale from 0 to 100. When ranked by score, Germany ranked 9th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90, the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11. For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Western European and European Union countries was 90, the average score was 65 and the lowest score was 42.
Corruption in the Netherlands is minimal in all major areas—judiciary, police, business, politics—as the country is considered one of the least corrupt within the European Union.
Corruption in Slovenia is examined on this page.
Corruption in Slovakia is a serious and ongoing problem.
Both grand and petty corruption are serious problems in Tanzania yet various comprehensive laws are in place to prevent corruption. It is largely due to a weak internal control and low or non-compliance with anti-corruption regulations within different government agencies. For instance, public procurement, taxation, and customs service are areas that are prone to corruption.
The government in Moldova has in recent years taken several steps to fight corruption, including law enforcement and institutional setups. The prosecution of officials who are involved in corruption has also increased in recent years. However, businesses consider corruption a serious problem for doing business, and the business environment continues to be one of the most challenging in the region.
There are several sectors in Ethiopia where businesses are particularly vulnerable to corruption. Land distribution and administration is a sector where corruption is institutionalized, and facilitation payments as well as bribes are often demanded from businesses when they deal with land-related issues.
There is evidence that corruption is a legitimate problem in Israeli politics and many investigations have taken place into allegations of influence peddling and bribery.
Transparency International defines corruption as "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain". Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index scored the United Kingdom at 71 on a scale from 0 to 100. When ranked by score, the United Kingdom ranked 20th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90, the average score was 43, and the worst score was 11. For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Western European and European Union countries was 90, the average score was 65 and the lowest score was 42. The United Kingdom's score has fallen six points over the last five years and is now at its lowest point in the twelve years that the current version of the Index has been published.