Corruption seems to have been rapidly increasing in the region this last decade ( The Economist, Ap Nations in Transit, editions 2001-2012), although there are some virtuous exceptions (for example Georgia and Estonia).Ĭorruption is often caused by, and at the same time, an instrument for political developments towards autocracy, such as those recently observed in some of these countries (limiting judicial autonomy, democratic participation and the free press). In most Central and Eastern European countries, however, the problem appears particularly serious. Even in Sweden, a country constantly considered among the least corrupt ones in the world, the problem seems to be increasing according to a recent report by the Agency for Public Management (Statskontoret), which also suggests that the current legislation needs to be improved, for example by offering some form of protection to whistleblowers. In Italy, for example, corruption has increased in the last decades and the parliament is now finally struggling to pass a (rather mild)”anti-corruption law”. It is also an increasingly important problem for many highly developed ones. New Tools to Fight Corruption and the Need for Complementary ReformĬorruption remains a serious problem for most developing countries, undermining state capacity and incentives to invest besides social cohesion and democratic institutions.
