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Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 and the European Financial Crisis

Europe’s rankings in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 are as diverse as the region itself. Clearly the perceived level of corruption in Greece (94th, the lowest EU state) is entirely different from that of Denmark and Finland, tied with New Zealand in first place. However, the old adage that corruption only occurs in the countries […]

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Corruption: An ongoing revolution in the Arab world

The Arab world witnessed unprecedented changes with the toppling of dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya last year. The Arab Spring served to transform the anti-corruption issue from the responsibility of a few, to the preoccupation of many. In most countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, trust in government remains low, with […]

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Corruption Perceptions Index 2012: What is public sector corruption?

Last year, we ran a blog post examining the many forms of public sector corruption. In conjunction with the launch of our 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index, we are reposting this piece with updated figures. The Corruption Perceptions Index  highlights corruption in the public sector. But what exactly does this mean? Drawing on Transparency International’s Plain […]

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The power of journalism as an anti-corruption tool

From 7-10 November 2012, more than 1,000 people from around the world will gather in Brasilia for the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference. Brazil is a particularly interesting setting for the conference. Whilst discussing and debating some of the most pertinent corruption problems and solutions, one of Brazil’s biggest corruption cases in history – the Mensalão […]

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TI Portugal Summer School: A lesson on integrity

You might have seen Portugal on the news recently. Just over a week ago, an estimated million people (in a country of roughly 10 million) took to the streets protesting new austerity measures announced by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho. Talk of instability in the governing coalition amid increased public anger damaged the country’s reputation […]

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Wanted: A replacement for “petty”

Eduardo Bohorquez and Deniz Devrim of Transparencia Mexicana, our national chapter in Mexico, recently published an article arguing for the abolishment of the word “petty” in the term “petty bribery”. They point out that petty bribery in fact generates substantial costs to society, both monetary and non-monetary. For example, surveys find that in Mexico households […]

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Ireland: Political leaders need to tackle fundamental governance gaps which enable corruption and undermine our economic stability

It is no coincidence that countries suffering most from the European debt crisis also have major problems with corruption. While international indicators suggest that corruption is less pervasive in Ireland than, say, Greece or Spain, its ravaging impact on public finances is just as tangible. Corruption has played a starring role in our home-grown crisis. […]

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Greece: corruption and the crisis

Last month, Greeks went to the polls after two years of ceaseless crisis. After a vote that showed their frustration with the old regime and their desire for change, the question now should be how to tackle the rampant corruption that has driven a wedge between a people and their leaders. One answer is transparency. […]

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Public service advertising – has political corruption found a new home?

The days of passing money under the table and in dark corridors may be over for corrupt politicians as they get smarter and savvier about bilking the system. The use of low interest loans to politicians (think Germany) and public companies to make campaign contributions (think Serbia) are just two new ways that political corruption […]

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A Hazy Awakening – Corruption risks capturing Hungary

In the picture of Hungary painted by Transparency International Hungary’s report on the country’s institutions last week, the colours would be quite blunt, with opaque areas in grey representing shady figures and institutions bound together very closely. In less artistic terms, it seems that nowadays private interests prevail over public interests, and Hungarians have just […]

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