RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Romania and the Corruption Perception Index

Anti-corruption prosecutions have picked up, but Romania still has the reputation of a very corrupt country, one of the worst in the EU.

Romania and the Corruption Perception Index
Romania and the Corruption Perception Index

, 04.12.2014, 14:13

Every year, Transparency International issues a corruption perception index, which places Romania in 69th place out of 175 countries and territories in 2013. The classification measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption. The index ranked 175 countries on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being considered highly corrupt. Two thirds of the world’s countries scored less than 50 points. Romania scored 43, alongside another three states in the EU, Bulgaria, Greece and Italy. Iulia Cospanaru, deputy director of the Romanian branch of Transparency International, finds this low score worrying, as well as the fact that this is the second consecutive year when the country is found highly corrupted:



Iulia Cospanaru: “It is worrying that this score is constant. We have to consider the fact that the last two years have seen many election campaigns, which have brought to public attention a number of such cases, which justifies this perception.”



Dozens of present and former ministers, MPs, mayors and county council chairmen, from both the left and the right wing, in power or in the opposition, have been investigated, prosecuted and convicted lately for corruption, for cases that have deprived the Romanian state of millions of Euro. According to a Eurobarometer, some Romanians believe that there are enough anti-corruption investigations as compared to the European average.



Iulia Cosparanu: “We are 20 points below the European average. This is also explained by the fact that in Europe we have the countries that rank highest. Generally, Scandinavian countries have the highest scores. When we talk about high scores and the perception of corruption, we have to take into consideration the fact that it exists everywhere, but it takes many different shapes. What we have to keep in mind is that the perception of the citizens of these countries with respect to corruption is much diminished as a result of the quality of services that the state provides.”



Transparency International points out that bad schools, counterfeit medical drugs and elections influenced by money are only a few of the consequences of corruption in the public sector. Bribery and back door deals harm the most vulnerable, in addition to undermining the judicial system and economic development, sapping confidence in governments and leaders.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Source: NATO)
Today in the News Tuesday, 05 November 2024

NATO must stay united

NATO will work with the winner of the US elections, whoever that person may be and will do its best to stay united, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte...

NATO must stay united
Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe
The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Election campaigns in Romania

    The campaign for the general election in Romania started last week, at midnight on Thursday, and will end on 30 November. During this...

Election campaigns in Romania
November 1 - National Radio Day
Today in the News Friday, 01 November 2024

Radio Romania 96

Radio Romania has celebrated 96 years since it first entered the listeners houses from Romania and abroad. On November 1 1928 the Romanians were able...

Radio Romania 96
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company