Radio România Internațional

Tag: Corruption Perceptions Index

  • February 11, 2025

    February 11, 2025

    RESIGNATION – The Constitutional Court has taken note of president Klaus Iohannis’ resignation. The two chambers of Parliament in Bucharest have also decided to annul Tuesday’s plenary sitting, where the main point on the agenda was the debate on the impeachment of Klaus Iohannis, after the populist and isolationist parties POT, AUR and S.O.S. Romania, in addition to the pro-European USR party, filed a motion in that regard. According to the Constitution, Senate Speaker Ilie Bolojan is expected to take over as interim president, after he has just stepped down as president of the National Liberal Party (PNL). Bolojan’s attributes remain limited: he will not be able to address Parliament on key political issues, he may not dissolve Parliament and will not be able to call a national referendum.

     

    BUDGET – Romania’s outgoing president, Klaus Iohannis, on Monday signed a number of executive orders, including the ratification of state budget and social security budget laws for 2025. Last week, the two bills were adopted by Parliament. The budget is based on a deficit target of 7% of GDP and an estimated economic growth rate of 2.5%. The Energy, Education, Health, Transport, Environment, Defense and Investments and European Funds ministries will get additional funds. Finance Minister Barna Tánczos, stated that all the conditions have been met to “support the development of the country by means of record-high investments”, while Romania will have “the resources to ensure the payment of salaries and pensions and restore financial balance”.

     

    CORRUPTION – The level of corruption remains very high at global level, while efforts to combat this phenomenon are decreasing, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International. According to the organization, the lack of strong measures against corruption spells serious repercussions globally in key areas such as protecting democracy, observing the rule of law, protecting the environment and combating climate change, and promoting and protecting human rights. In 2024, the average score at EU level was 62, down by two points compared to previous years. For the third year in a row, Romania was rated with a score of 46 out of 100 possible points, the same as Malta. Romania also fares very poorly at EU level in terms of combating corruption. Transparency International Romania made a number of recommendations, such as the implementation of Integrity Pacts as a widespread tool for monitoring public procurement, improving citizens’ awareness of the importance of applying the Law on the Protection of Public Whistleblowers or updating the legislation in the field of public integrity. Transparency International Romania also recommends the government implement an anti-corruption program that would help Romania improve its Corruption Perceptions Index score to at least 50 by 2027.

     

    REAL ESTATE – Ruling coalition MPs are as of today holding public consultations in order to regulate protection measures addressing people who conclude sale-purchase deeds with real estate developers. Representatives of real estate developers, public notaries and the National Agency for Land Registry and Real Estate Advertising are also expected to take part. The goal is to complete the legal framework with regulations that will offer the end beneficiaries robust guarantees for the advances paid in real estate transactions and that will also ensure the development and proper functioning of the relevant market in Romania. The initiative comes after hundreds of people who got scammed in the Nordis case called for amending the relevant legislation. Former PSD deputy Laura Vicol, her husband, Vladimir Ciorbă, the main shareholder of the Nordis group, and three other people were put on pre-trial arrest as part of this investigation. The inquiry targets individuals and companies accused of having collected over 195 million EUR from clients without handing over the apartments.

     

    112 – The buildings of over 100 public and private institutions in Romania will be lit in red today, marking the European 112 Day. By means of a symbolic visual approach, the Special Telecommunications Service wants to draw attention to the instrumental role of the single emergency number and to encourage citizens to use it responsibly. Abusive emergency calls can jeopardize the swift intervention of specialized teams where it is needed the most, Service officials say. In 2024, as a result of the efforts of the relevant authorities and emergency response services, as well as other government partners and private telecommunications operators, the number of non-emergency calls decreased by nearly one million compared to previous years. 112 Emergency Service operators took over 9.7 million calls, of which 60.45% were actual emergencies, the Special Telecommunications Service also reports.

     

    GLOBAL TRADE – France’s Industry Minister, Marc Ferracci, told a TF1 interview that Europe should respond in a firm and united manner to the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, also expressing hope such a response would happen soon. On Monday, the U.S. president substantially increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 25%, “without exceptions or exemptions”, in the hope this step would help struggling U.S. industries. However, the measure risks triggering a trade war on several fronts, Reuters reports. (VP)

  • Transparency International on corruption in healthcare

    Transparency International on corruption in healthcare

    One of the consequences of the coronavirus
    pandemic is an increase in corruption in the healthcare system. A study
    published Transparency International points out that the COVID-19 pandemic led
    to an increase in the perception of corruption amongst EU citizens. 40,000
    inhabitants in 27 EU member states took part in the Eurobarometer held over October-December
    2020. Less than half of the participants believe the crisis was managed in a transparent
    manner by the authorities. Over 60% of respondents in France, Poland and Spain
    believe their governments lacked transparency in managing the pandemic.

    Health
    services are particularly affected by corruption. Medical care services were a fertile
    ground for corruption, while the governments were trying to keep the COVID-19
    pandemic in check, Transparency International points out in its report. Whereas
    only 6% of respondents said they had to pay bribes to obtain access to medical
    care, 29% said they used their personal connections to obtain privileged access.
    According to the aforementioned study, lives can be lost when people with contacts
    on the inside get a COVID-19 vaccine or medical treatment ahead of medical
    emergencies. Bribes in the healthcare sector are the most widespread in Romania
    -22%, Bulgaria, 19%, and the use of private connections is the most frequent in
    the Czech Republic – 54% and Portugal, 46%. On the other hand, Hungary and
    Poland are seen as the countries that used the health crisis to undermine
    democracy by introducing measures that weakened democratic institutions. In
    Germany, MPs of the Conservative Party in power (CDU) were accused of having
    intervened in this sector.

    Over 60% of German interviewees believe their
    governments to be under the influence of groups with private interests. At EU
    level, over half of respondents feel the same about their own governments. A
    third of EU citizens who took part in the survey believe corruption stagnated
    or increased in their countries. The authors of the report highlight the fact
    that politicians saw the crisis as an opportunity to profit, invoking lobby activities
    to purchase face masks. They are asking on EU governments to intensify their
    efforts to ensure a fair and just exit from the pandemic. The results should represent
    a warning for both governments and EU institutions, Michiel van Hulten, Transparency
    International EU director has said. (VP)



  • The Annual Transparency International Report

    The Annual Transparency International Report


    More than two thirds of the worlds countries have scored below 50 in the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International, which uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. Presented in Berlin on Wednesday, the index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people. It is for the first time that on top of the ranking there are scores below 90, which, according to the organisation, means that most governments are too slow in taking action against the scourge.



    This year, New Zealand ranks highest with 89 points, followed by Denmark, Finland, Norway and Switzerland. The best performing region is Western Europe, while the worst performing regions are Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. With a score of 48, Romania is above the world average and, just like in the previous year, it ranks 25th out of 28 in the European Union, on a par with Greece and ahead of Hungary and Bulgaria.



    According to Transparency International, the fact that the corruption perceptions index has remained unchanged at global level is a slight improvement. For this reason, the organisation believes that, in the following years, besides coercive measures, Romania needs to implement systematic prevention measures, to raise the level of accountability among decision-makers, and ensure more involvement on the local communities part. For this reason, Transparency International has mentioned the need for transparent and efficient mechanisms, aimed at eliminating vulnerabilities to corruption, effective means of spending public money and more integrity in the public institutions.



    Since the private sector plays a key-role in shaping the way in which society responds to the phenomenon of corruption, a fair and transparent business environment can decisively contribute to Romanias development. According to Transparency International, the private sector too needs improved mechanisms of compliance and integrity, with a view to ensuring economic competitiveness. The organisation also comes with concrete proposals for the central government, local officials and the business environment, such as higher standards of good local governance through the implementation of an Integrity System at the level of local public administration, along with the development and strengthening of an ethic and compliance management system at organization level. (translated by Daniel Bilt)




  • January 25, 2017 UPDATE

    January 25, 2017 UPDATE

    COUNCIL OF
    EUROPE     Romania’s President Klaus
    Iohannis said on Wednesday in plenary session of the Council of Europe’s
    Parliamentary Assembly that the world needs democratic societies, where
    majorities do not take undue advantage of their rights, societies where the
    principle of loyal and constructive cooperation between democratic institutions
    works flawlessly. The President said that Romania has turned into a role-model
    as regards the protection and promotion of national minorities’ rights, a model
    acknowledged at European level. Also, the head of state announced that on April
    6th, together with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
    Thorbjorn Jagland, will inaugurate in Bucharest an international conference
    organized in cooperation with the Venice Commission on the roles played by the
    majority and the opposition in a democratic society. On Tuesday, on the first
    day of his visit to Strasbourg, the Romanian head of state met with Romanians
    working at the Council of Europe and with representatives of the Romanian
    community in Alsace. Also, he attended the ceremony marking the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.








    GOVERNMENT ORDINANCES On Wednesday, Romania’s Superior Council of
    Magistracy, which has a consultative role in the debate on the draft government
    ordinances on pardoning and amending the Criminal Code, advised against the
    proposed changes. Among other things, according to the drafts set forth by the
    new left-wing Government in Bucharest, convicts sentenced to less than 5 years
    in prisons would be pardoned. The pardon would not benefit repeat offenders and
    those who committed certain offences stipulated by the Criminal Code or by
    special laws. One of the proposed amendments to the Criminal Code stipulates
    that a case of abuse of office will be considered a criminal offence only if
    the damage exceeds 44,000 thousand Euros, and the maximum sentence will no
    longer be 7, but 3 years in prison for such an offence. The two draft emergency
    ordinances have been vehemently criticized by the opposition and citizens. Last
    week, dozens of thousands of people marched the streets of Bucharest protesting
    against these measures and President Klaus Iohannis joined them. The Justice
    Minister Florin Iordache claims that these changes are necessary in order to
    solve the issue of prison overcrowding and to get the legislation in line with
    certain rulings of the Constitutional Court.










    CVM REPORT Romania continues to make progress in
    reforming the judiciary and fighting corruption, but criticism leveled by
    politicians and the press against judicial institutions, the National
    Anticorruption Directorate in particular, might undermine trust in the justice
    system. This is one of the conclusion of the European Commission’s report on
    progress in Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM),
    presented in Brussels on Wednesday. According to the report, the fact that many
    top-level politicians in Romania have been indicted and convicted is a sign
    that, as regards the independence of the judiciary, the trend is positive. In
    ten years of EU membership and by implementing reforms under the CVM, Romania
    has made major progress, reads the report drawn up by the European Commission,
    according to which the positive trend of the past three years will also be
    reflected in the 2017 report. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis, the left-wing
    Government in Bucharest and the main judicial institutions in the country have
    appreciated the report. The next CVM report is to be drawn up at the end of
    2017. We recall that Romania’s judiciary system has been monitored since 2007,
    when the country joined the EU.








    2017 BUDGET Romania’s revised
    draft budget will be debated by Government on Friday, and will be submitted to
    Parliament on the same day, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has announced. He
    has also said that most of the money will go to the ministries of transport,
    agriculture and health and to SMEs. The Presidential Administration and the
    Romanian Intelligence Service, on the other hand, will get lower budgets, the
    Prime Minister has also stated.








    BREXIT The British Government has announced that
    it will present on Thursday the bill under which it calls for Parliament’s
    approval to officially start negotiations on withdrawing from the European
    Union. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that Prime
    Minister Theresa May must ask for Parliament’s approval to trigger article 50
    of the Lisbon Treaty. Brexit Minister David Davis has stated that the British
    Parliament will have to vote on the simplest bill possible. We recall that Theresa
    May has repeatedly stated that the withdrawal procedure will start by late
    March, and negotiations with Brussels will last two years.










    CORRUPTION
    PERCEPTIONS INDEX     The rise of
    populism in many countries is a reason for concern, according to Transparency
    International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index made public on Wednesday. Corruption and inequality feed off each other to
    create a vicious circle between corruption, unequal distribution of power in
    society, and unequal distribution of wealth. This makes people feel
    disappointed and turn towards populist trends, which are by no means the right
    remedy, the report says. The Corruption Perceptions
    Index 2016 covers perceptions of public sector corruption in 176 countries.Denmark and New Zealand perform best
    with scores of 90, closely followed by Finland (89) and Sweden (88).For the tenth year running, Somalia is the worst
    performer on the index, scoring only 10 this year. Romania is on the 57th
    position.