Corruption is the elephant in the room
Corruption weakens economies, deepens inequality and undermines democracy. And the citizens are always left to foot the bill. It’s time to say enough is enough.
Tagged corruption
Lord Voldemort is the protagonist of a new corruption scandal in Hungary
Intercepted phone calls have revealed theft of EU funds designated for improving social mobility in Hungary.
Romanian Prime Minister granted immunity
Under investigation for corruption, the Romanian Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, refuses to resign, declaring himself innocent. The National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) announced on Friday, 5 June, that it was investigating charges of conflict of interest, money laundering, forgery and tax evasion attributed to Romania’s Prime Minister on Friday and dating back to when he was working as a lawyer before assuming public office. For the investigation to proceed, the Prime Minister’s immunity as Member of Parliament should be lifted, something only the Parliament can do. In a secret ballot, the Romanian Parliament voted to maintain Mr. Ponta’s immunity
Understanding Romania’s anticorruption hunt
By Vlad Stoicescu
To get a glimpse of what is happening one should understand first the legal mechanisms that put in motion Romania’s anti-corruption framework. The National Anticorruption Directorate was set up in 2002. Back then it was a step towards judicial reform and compliance with European standards in a period in which Bucharest was negotiating the country’s accession to the EU. For a couple of years it was just a “showcase institution”, formally highlighting the political will to combat Romania’s pervasive corruption.
