How to fight global corruption?
In its newly published index for 2018 NGO Transparency International reports a global increase in corruption in the economy, politics and administration. A number of European countries including Hungary and Turkey also slipped down in the rankings. But there are also positive examples, commentators point out.
Progress and new problems
Upsala Nya Tidning makes out slight improvements in Africa but is worried about the negative developments in America and Europe:
“Botswana was for a long time an example of a relatively high degree of trust and low degree of corruption - for example at the southern European level. Now Senegal, Ivory Coast and Rwanda are slowly catching up and this is reflected in their economies. Further good examples are needed, but not negative ones. 'Keep an eye on the US, Brazil and Hungary,' it says in the report. These three countries are led by politicians who are compromising the free media and independent institutions. The growing corruption shows how democracy is coming under pressure.”
Step up transnational fight against crime
The only way to fight global corruption is by acting on a transnational basis, the sons of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered in 2017, write in Der Standard:
“The most recent phase of globalization gave us Moneyland, a vast playground for organized criminals and kleptocrats that hoovered up weaker jurisdictions like Malta into the service of dark money. The right response to this is not to retreat behind national borders, but to create a new global entity designed to address the transnational nature of organized crime and corruption. For a start, law-enforcement bodies could learn from journalism and work more urgently to develop the trusted-network approach that organized crime has perfected.”
Disappointing lack of progress in Lithuania
Lithuania remains in 38th position for the fourth year in a row in the Transparency International report. Verslo žinios isn't happy:
“While Lithuania hasn't budged, Latvia and Estonia have made visible progress. The pledges of the Farmer government [a coalition between the Farmers and Greens Union and the Social Democrats] to set high standards in corruption prevention were empty promises. ... There is no miracle formula for getting rid of corruption. The experts also say that punishments and lectures don't really work. The best solution is a clear transformation that neutralises the corruption hotspots. And there are several such hotspots in Lithuania.”